Final Mission
by Lillie Flowers
Summary: Jack and Sam just wanted to have a quiet wedding with friends, but nothing can ever go as planned with this team. Adventure/romance, set between Seasons 8 and 9. This story can be read on its own, but it also works as a sequel to my One Last Chance fic. Now complete. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**Hooray! Sequel has begun! You know I need your reviews to fuel my creativity...please keep them coming! I'll try to update often. I have many plans for this story...**

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"Any word from General Hammond?"

Sam leaned into General Landry's office, hanging onto the doorframe and trying not to look too eager. She knew it was the third time she had asked, but she didn't know Landry well enough yet to be sure he would call her if Hammond's letter was brought down.

"Nope," Landry replied, not bothering to lift his head from the mountain of paperwork on his desk. Boxes were still stacked up all around him, and the walls were blank, with tiny pinholes visible where General O'Neill's framed medals, photos, and other items had hung around the room. Sam leaned farther into the office and waited for Landry to add something else, but he didn't even seem to notice her presence. She let out an impatient sigh.

"Right."

She turned to leave, but spun around on her heels when she heard Landry call her back.

"Oh, Colonel?"

Sam peeked her head back in, and he waved at her distractedly, gesturing for her to come in. She sauntered inside the office, glancing inside one or two of the boxes stacked up on the floor. Landry opened one desk drawer after another, obviously searching for something.

"Do you know where Jack kept his stapler? I've looked everywhere, but-"

Sam reached behind him and opened one of the glass doors of the cabinet behind the General's desk. Landry looked confused when she dug a stapler out from where it was being used as a bookend, dropping it into his hand. He stared at it a second, and then started to laugh.

"How did anything ever get done around here?"

"We managed, sir," Sam responded, a little too defensively. Landry waved her out the door, still laughing.

"Go on, Colonel. Finish packing. I'll let you know if I hear from George."

Sam sighed and headed back up to her lab. She had less than a week before she would officially be leaving the SGC, and there was still a lot to do. Unfortunately, knowing what she had planned for the weekend was making it very difficult to concentrate.

Wandering back into her lab, Sam taped up the bottom of another box and began filling it with books. She stacked them carefully, making sure they all were packed in order. She was dreading the task of unpacking all of her things into her new office at Area 51. It was nothing like the astrophysics lab she'd been working out of for the past eight years, and it stung a little to think of leaving it behind.

To cheer herself up, Sam left the box on the floor and wandered over to her desk, sliding open the top drawer and pulling out a small, grey box. She popped open the top and ran her fingers over the smooth, silver ring and the stones embedded in the top, reminding herself of her reason for leaving. A smile crept across her face and she snapped the box closed, resting it back in its place in her drawer.

Sam wished she could wear her engagement ring openly, but she knew that it was important for her and Jack to keep quiet about their relationship. She hadn't mentioned her breakup with Pete to anyone outside of SG1, deciding to let that be her cover if anyone happened to catch her making wedding plans. Jack assured her that everything would work out fine, but Sam knew she would feel much better once she heard for sure. General Hammond had a meeting with the President that morning, and he had promised Jack that he would talk to him about their situation. Sam was crossing her fingers, waiting to hear word back on how it went.

There was a knock on her open door, and she looked up to see a young Sergeant standing in the doorway, holding a large envelope in his hand. Sam jumped, but she restrained herself from bounding across the room.

"This just came for you, ma'am."

She slowly crossed the room and allowed him to drop the envelope into her hands, thanking him and waiting until he was out of sight before tearing it open and scanning the letter hurriedly. Skipping the opening pleasantries, she felt her heart leap as she found the words she was searching for towards the bottom of the page.

"_You have a go."_

She didn't bother to read the rest of the letter, dropping it onto her desk and reaching for the phone, the grin on her face so wide that it made her cheeks ache. She dialed the number that was quickly becoming familiar to her, and asked to speak with General O'Neill.

"I'm sorry, the General is in a meeting. Can I take a message?"

Disappointed, Sam replied, "No, thank you," and hung up. She glanced around the room and thought of resuming her packing, but changed her mind, snapping up the letter and walking swiftly out of her lab. Jogging to the elevator down the hall, she rode it up one level and made her way to Daniel's office.

Daniel was more excited about his Atlantis expedition than Sam had ever seen him about anything. He'd spent the last week digging up every article, report, and artifact he could find that had any relevance at all to the lost city. She walked in to see him leaning over a large, dusty book, his fists pressed into his cheeks as he read over the words on the page. Sam waited a moment before clearing her throat loudly, and Daniel looked up at her in surprise.

"Oh, sorry, Sam," he said, pushing up his glasses and smiling at her. "Didn't see you. What's up?"

She crossed the room and held the letter in her hands over his desk. He smiled at pulled it from her fingers.

"What's this?"

She watched him eagerly as he read over Hammond's words, and when he was finished, she was amused to see that he seemed just as happy as she was.

"Sam, that's great!" He stood and walked around his desk, wrapping her up in a bear hug and squeezing her until she complained that she couldn't breathe.

"Congratulations!" he said merrily, releasing her and dropping the letter back into her hands. His eyes darted to the camera in the corner of his office, and Sam knew he was trying to be careful with his word choice. "Have you talked to him?"

She sighed and folded Hammond's letter, sliding it into her pocket. "He's in a meeting. I'm sure he'll call later, hopefully when I'm home, so we can actually talk." Sam gestured up to the camera, and Daniel nodded understandingly.

"What about your brother? Did you ever call him?"

Sam groaned and leaned against Daniel's desk, sending a mysterious cylindrical object rolling off the edge and Daniel diving to the floor to catch it. He glanced up at her over his glasses and frowned.

"Sorry," she mumbled, giving him her hand to help him up. "Yes, I called Mark."

Daniel placed the cylinder up on a shelf, out of Sam's reach. "And?"

"And he's not happy with me. I didn't even get a chance to tell him about…" She waved her hand around in the air. "…you know." Daniel nodded, and Sam continued. "All he wanted to do was lecture me about Pete. Just when we were starting to get along, too."

Daniel shrugged and leaned up next to her. "Well, they're good friends, right? Just give it time. He won't stay mad forever."

Sam smiled and patted her pocket. "When are you leaving?"

"For Minnesota? Not till Friday morning." Sam looked disappointed, and Daniel held up his hands. "Hey, don't look at me. You're going to have to recruit somebody else to take care of your decorations."

She laughed and gave him a playful nudge. "I don't have any girlfriends, Daniel. I was relying on you and Cassie for that stuff."

"So hire somebody."

Sam shook her head. Having gone through the entire wedding-planning ordeal with Pete, the last thing she wanted was to have a fancy wedding with Jack. She had already told him that all she wanted was a simple ceremony with their closest friends, which suited Jack just fine.

"I'll figure something out," she said cheerfully, pulling herself up from Daniel's desk and stretching her arms. "I guess I'd better get back to packing."

Daniel returned to his seat behind the desk and waved to her. "Have fun."

Making her way back to the elevator, Sam pulled Hammond's letter from her pocket and read it in its entirety. He had been careful not to mention a wedding, and she laughed at the way he referred to their weekend plans as if it were their next mission. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wall of the elevator. In a way, it was a kind of mission, the last for SG-1 as a team, to help them all find happiness and a way to move on with their lives. Sam folded the letter and placed it back in her pocket, hoping this wasn't the last chance the team would have to be together. Things would certainly be different from now on, but change wasn't always a bad thing. The elevator doors slid open, and Sam sighed, wandering back into her office.

Before she resumed packing, she took one last peek at the ring in her desk, reminding herself of just how good change can be.


	2. Chapter 2

**I hope you guys had a great weekend! I've got a short little chapter for you...please review if you enjoy it!**

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"_So, I found an interesting memo on my desk this afternoon."_

Sam pushed her front door closed with her foot, holding the cell phone to her ear as she struggled with a large box of papers. She grinned at Jack's words on the other end of the line, wishing she could see the playful spark in his eyes.

"Oh, yeah? Funny, me too."

She dropped the box on the floor and switched on some lights, making her way down the hall to her living room and plopping down on the couch. The last rays of sunlight were streaming through the blinds, sending thin beams of light across the floor and filling the room with a cheerful sort of warmth.

"_Have you talked to Cassie?"_

Sam stretched her legs out across the cushions and leaned her head back.

"Yes, sir. I'm going to meet her at the airport. We'll come up together and be there Thursday afternoon. Daniel won't be up till late on Friday though. What about General Hammond?"

It still pained her that her father wouldn't be there to walk her down the aisle, but Sam was grateful that Hammond had agreed to take his friend's place. There was no one she looked up to more than the General, and he seemed pleased that she had asked.

"_Don't worry. He'll be there."_

Both were quiet for several moments. Sam knew Jack was still in his office, and he had to be careful with what he said. Still, she felt warm and content just hearing his voice, and she let out a blissful sigh.

"_Somebody's in a good mood."_

Sam smiled as her mind conjured up an image of General O'Neill in his new office, leaning back in his chair with one hand behind his head. His desk was probably a mess, and she had no doubt he was already driving his secretary crazy. Sam slid down the couch cushions to lay flat on her back.

"I wish you were here, sir."

"_Who?"_

She still hadn't gotten used to using the General's first name, but he constantly urged her to try. Sam got the feeling it was somewhat offensive to him when she forgot, but eight years of having "sir", "Colonel", and "General" come out of her mouth couldn't be overridden in a month.

"Sorry. Jack."

"_Better. Hang on a sec."_

Sam waited patiently as she heard Jack's muffled voice speaking to someone in the background. She ran her fingers across the stitching on one of the couch cushions and was reminded of the last time Jack had been in her living room, the night he had asked her to be his wife. She shut her eyes tight and remembered lying in that same position, Jack's body covering hers, his calloused hands sliding over her skin and up her arched back…his deep, intense kisses sending her into a fever, her fingers gripping his shoulders, and her toes curled up against the back of his calves…

"_Carter? Are you still there?"_

Her eyes fluttered open, and she was glad he wasn't there to see her blush.

"Yes, sir. I mean, yes. Sorry. Still here."

She raised herself up and wandered into the kitchen, the couch bringing up too many pleasant memories for her to concentrate.

"_Listen, my morning's booked up tomorrow, but I thought I'd take a long lunch and maybe we can really talk. I know we've got a few things to go over before this weekend."_

Sam frowned at the dish towel she noticed lying on the floor, picking it up and carrying it down the hallway to drop it into the hamper. She could have sworn she'd seen that towel draped over one of the kitchen chairs before she'd left that morning.

"That's fine. I'll see if I can leave the base for an hour or so. What time?"

She was glad there was only a two-hour time difference between them, and since he tended to work later than her anyway, it didn't make for much of a problem.

"_Let's say twelve thirty. By the way, have you had any word from Teal'c?"_

Sam was a little distracted, and she peeked out of the curtains in her office. There were no strange cars parked on the street, and the neighborhood seemed quiet. Something seemed off to her, but she could figure out what.

"No, sir. Not yet."

"_Carter…" _

She stepped away from the window and tried to tell herself that she was just being paranoid.

"Sorry. I just had a weird feeling. You _are_ in D.C., aren't you?"

"_Uh…yeah."_

She shook off the thought. Of course he hadn't been there.

"Never mind. It's probably nothing. You heading home soon? It's getting late."

There was a sound of shuffling papers on the other side of the line, and Sam heard him sigh.

"_Hope so. You sure everything's okay?"_

She wished she hadn't brought it up. Now he was going to worry.

"It's fine. Really. I'll let you get back to work."

"_Okay. I'll call you tomorrow. 'Night Sam."_

Sam hesitated before saying goodbye, wishing she felt comfortable adding the three small words that they had yet to exchange between them. Deciding it could wait a little longer, she parted with, "Good night, Jack," and hung up the phone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! I'm having so much fun with this story so far. I'm already up to chapter 6, but I'm going to post a chapter a day, so just be patient. Let me know if you have any suggestions. Please keep going with your reviews! :)  
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_I really am getting paranoid._

Sam glanced in her rear-view mirror for what must have been the hundredth time, eying the black Suburban that she'd noticed behind her not long after she'd left the base. She couldn't imagine any reason why anyone would be having her followed, though being involved with the SGC meant that there was always someone interested in what she was up to. She knew better than to ignore her instincts, so she took a quick turn off the main road, just to be sure. The vehicle kept to the main highway, and Sam felt relieved as she pulled into a parking spot at her favorite café.

Taking a seat at an outside table, she ordered breakfast and some coffee, waiting patiently for Jack to call. The breeze was warm, and she could smell something sweet baking inside. The tables around her were empty, and Sam couldn't imagine why no one else wanted to eat outdoors today.

The phone next to her rang loudly, and she had it to her ear in less than a second.

"Hello?"

"_Hey, Sam. Sorry I'm late. I got a little hung up."_

She couldn't keep a smile off her face at the sound of his voice, and she rested her elbows on the table in front of her.

"It's fine. I just ordered breakfast." She waited a moment before asking, "Did you get away from work?"

"_Yeah, I can talk."_ There was a pause, and then he added in a teasingly seductive voice,_ "So, what are you wearing?"_

Sam laughed to herself and rolled her eyes. "Nothing you'd be interested in, sir." She winced, forgetting again to use his first name. Hoping he hadn't noticed, she added, "I thought you'd like to know that Daniel heard from Teal'c today."

"_Oh, goody. What did he say?"_

Sam paused as the waitress brought out her French toast and refilled her coffee before walking back inside.

"He's got a few more things to take care of, but he should be here by Thursday. Daniel said he's taking the whole 'best man' thing pretty seriously."

Jack chuckled a little. _"Figures. Does he know he's sharing?"_

Sam knew that Jack wanted both of his closest friends to stand beside him at the wedding, and since Cassie had been the only one to object, he went ahead and asked them both to be his best man. Cassie had been doing as much research as she could on Earth weddings, since she had never actually been to one. Most of said research consisted of renting movies from the video store. She was not pleased that they were straying from tradition.

"I'm sure he does." Sam waited as a particularly loud vehicle drove past, and then added quietly, "I miss you, Jack."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a few seconds, and Sam wondered if he was sitting in his truck. She didn't hear any traffic or background noise. Finally, she heard him speak again, and she could tell from the sound of his voice that he was missing her too.

"_Yes, well…you'll have your fill of me soon enough."_

"I doubt it, sir."

They talked for almost an hour, Sam polishing off her breakfast and sipping her coffee, going over wedding plans and talking about nothing. The playful way he flirted with her made her laugh, and by the time she had to head back to the base, she was practically glowing.

"I'd better get back, sir. I promised I'd help Daniel sort through some of his research this afternoon."

"_Yeah, I've got to run too." _He hesitated before adding,_ "Was there anything else?"_

He was giving her a chance, and she knew it.

_Just say it. Three words. You can do it._

"No, I don't think so."

_Coward._

Sam heard a car door open through the phone, and she grinned as she pictured Jack sitting in his truck for an hour, just to talk to her.

"_Okay, then. I'll call you tonight."_

"Bye, Jack."

She waited until he hung up before she took the phone from her ear, wishing she could talk to him just a little longer.

Just as she reached behind her to slide her phone into her back pocket, Sam noticed a tall, hefty man watching her from across the street. When her eyes met his, he turned and began walking swiftly down the sidewalk.

_There is no way this is a coincidence._

Sam dug a ten dollar bill out of her wallet and stuck it underneath her coffee mug, not waiting for the waitress before she started after the mysterious man. She felt for her sidearm under her jacket, keeping one hand close to it as she walked.

The man began to walk faster, and Sam knew she was going to have to do something if she wanted to find out what was going on.

"Hey!" she called out, breaking into a jog. The man darted between two buildings, and by the time Sam had reached them, she saw that he had taken off running. She flew after him, yelling out for him to stop. She couldn't believe how fast he was for such a large man, but she was slowly gaining. He raced across the street when the alley opened up, and Sam had to pause to wait for traffic before she could cross. She watched in frustration as a familiar-looking Suburban screeched to a stop, picking up the large man and peeling out as it drove off. She looked it over for any unusual markings, or heaven forbid, a license plate, but of course there was nothing. Cursing under her breath, Sam turned around and walked back towards her car. She dialed up the base and asked to speak with Daniel.

"I think I was followed into town this morning," she told him, trying not to pant into the phone. She thought of telling him about the strange feeling she had at her house the night before, but decided against it. "Do you have Agent Barrett's number?"

Sam heard Daniel growl in protest. She knew he was not a fan of the NID agent, but she wasn't sure she wanted to be the one to get in touch with him. He did have a bit of a thing for her, and she hated how awkward things tended to get when they worked together.

"_Yeah, I can dig it up. Are you okay?"_

Assuring him that she was, she explained what had happened.

"It may have been nothing, but I'd just like to be sure that the NID isn't following me around."

Actually, Sam realized that it would be a bit of a relief to know who it was. At least if it was the NID, that mean it wasn't someone worse.

"_I'll give him a call. You still coming up here to give me a hand?"_

Sam grinned as she reached her car and dug her keys out of her jacket pocket.

"Yes, Daniel. I haven't forgotten. I'm heading there now."

As she slid into the drivers' seat, she nervously checked her rear-view mirror. Traffic continued on as normal, and a young couple walked carelessly down the street, arm in arm and chatting enthusiastically. Sam locked her door and frowned.

Something was going on, and the sooner she found out what it was, the better.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Thank you so much for your sweet reviews! I get all excited anytime my phone dings with an email. I hope you like this chapter. I wanted to write something fluffy...before things get interesting. :D**

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Two days passed, and Sam saw no more black Suburbans or mysterious men watching from street corners. She still felt nervous coming home in the evenings, but when Agent Barrett was adamant with Daniel that the NID had no agents looking into Sam's whereabouts, she decided not to mention anything to Jack. Daniel was less than thrilled, but she convinced him to keep quiet, since Jack would only worry, and they had no proof of anything.

Sam got up early Thursday morning and packed up her clothes for the weekend, stuffing her new wedding dress into a heavy garment bag. She'd been relieved that the bridal shop had been willing to exchange the dress she had bought for the wedding with Pete. She would have rather worn torn jeans and a sweatshirt than the gown that he had helped her pick out, but thankfully they allowed her to trade it in for another one, something simpler and more to Jack's taste.

As soon as she slid into the driver's seat of her car, Sam pulled Jack's ring out of her bag and slipped it onto her finger. For the next week and a half, she was determined to forget about aliens, rank, and the SGC, content to be just another woman leaving for her honeymoon.

_Just Sam…_

She made it to the airport with only a few minutes to spare, checking in her bags and wandering around to look for Cassie. She spotted the girl standing in front of one of the terminal's large windows, watching the planes take off. Sam stood back and smiled, pleased at how well Cassie had turned out.

She was just 18, and she had grown tall and slim, letting her hair grow long and starting to dress more stylish. Sam had helped her get an apartment of her own in Colorado Springs, and Cassie would be starting college in the fall. Sam tried to spend time with her as often as she could, though it was difficult to work around both their schedules. Cassie was growing out of her melancholy teen years, and she had a tight circle of friends that she spent most of her time with. Sam worried less than she used to.

"Hey, Cassie," she called out, draping her carry-on bag over her shoulder so she could give the girl a proper hug.

"Sam!" Cassie wrapped her arms around her, squeezing tightly. "I've missed you so much! I can't believe I'm actually going to get on one of those! I'm _so_ excited!"

She pointed to the planes outside of the window, practically bouncing on her heels. Sam grinned and looked around for a place to sit. She leaned on the edge of the windowsill, watching her young friend's eager expressions.

"I can't wait to get there. I bought the prettiest dress to wear…my friend Megan helped me pick it out. It's blue with this pretty little frilly stuff at the bottom. Will Jack be up there already? I haven't seen him in _forever_. You are going to be the happiest woman alive, Sam…"

Cassie continued to ramble on, but Sam didn't bother to stop her. After spending so much time with all of the male company she so often found herself around, it was a relief to hear the pleasant sound of such a cheerful feminine voice.

"…and Jack will wear a tux-"

"Jack's not wearing a tux, Cassie," Sam said with a laugh. "You're going to have to give it up."

She pouted a little and crossed her arms.

"You _are_ wearing a dress, aren't you?"

"Yes, I'm wearing a dress." She held up one finger to silence Cassie as she listened to the voice over the loudspeaker, then grabbed her friends' wrist and headed toward their gate.

"What about Daniel and Teal'c? Because if I'm wearing blue, they should wear something to match…"

Cassie continued for most of the flight, and Sam found it almost soothing. By the time the plane landed at the airport in Duluth, she knew more than she ever thought possible about weddings, everything from the proper way to walk down the aisle to how to choose place settings at the reception. Sam didn't bother to remind her friend that most of the things she had learned would have no bearing on the simple wedding she'd planned for the weekend.

They made it out of the airport with their luggage accounted for and wandered into the parking lot. Sam was dreading the task of lugging her dress all the way to the car rental shop.

"Oh, that's another thing. My friend Julie said when her cousin got married, this fight broke out with her bridesmaids because…Hey! There's Jack!"

Sam's heart leaped at the words, and Cassie dropped her suitcase to run and wrap her arms around the General, where he'd been waiting just outside. He chuckled and put an arm around her, dragging her with him as he made his way over to Sam.

All she could think to say was "Hi." She hadn't been expecting him to meet her, and she actually felt nervous. It had been almost two weeks since she'd seen him last.

Once Jack had officially accepted the job in D.C., everything had happened so fast. The one brief, but blissful night he had spent with Sam after they got back to Earth turned out to be their last chance to be alone together before he left town. They had planned to have his final weekend for themselves, but there was a diplomatic emergency involving two Russian scientists and an unsanctioned experiment, and Jack was called up to Washington early. Despite the fact that she had since spent most of her spare time on the phone with him, Sam wasn't quite prepared for the reminder of how intense her feelings were.

Jack was dressed casually in jeans and a loose-fitting t-shirt, his sunglasses hanging off the collar. Sam could see the mark on his upper arm where the skin was mostly healed from the recent staff-blast wound, but the rest of the cuts and bruises from their last mission seemed to have disappeared. His t-shirt whipped around in the breeze, and his eyes sparkled a bit brighter than usual. He didn't move from where he stood grinning down at her, one arm around Cassie and the other in his pocket.

"Hi," he said back to her.

Sam stood holding her bags awkwardly, trying her best to smile. Cassie let go of Jack and picked up her suitcase, waving her hand around in irritation.

"Jeez, guys. You're getting married. You could at least hug."

Jack ruffled Cassie's hair and took the garment bag out of Sam's arms. "All in good time, kiddo. You guys want a ride?"

Sam didn't try to hide her disappointment, but as Cassie turned and began walking in front of them, Jack leaned down and slipped his free hand behind her neck, pressing his lips to hers. Making the most of the brief few seconds before he pulled away, she tugged at his collar and tried to slide her tongue between his lips. Jack pulled back and shook his head.

"Don't do that to me, Carter," he scolded playfully. "You get me too far gone, and I'm liable to do something that could scar Cassie for life."

"What?" Cassie spun around when she heard her name. Sam tugged at her suitcase and laughed.

The drive to Jack's cabin flew by, and before she knew it, Sam was surprised to see that they were pulling into the driveway. Cassie chatted away most of the time from the backseat, and Sam was content to sit quietly, her head leaned back sideways on the headrest, watching Jack as he drove with one hand on the steering wheel, looking into his rear-view mirror every so often to say something to the girl behind him. He occasionally turned to glance over at Sam, and when she pulled her feet up into the seat, he reached over to rest one hand on her knee. She almost laughed at herself with the way her heart melted when his eyes met hers, but she was happier than she could remember being in years.

When Jack shut off the truck, Cassie bounded out the door and ran around the cabin, eagerly exploring. Jack leaned down and pulled the lever to scoot his seat back, reaching behind him to lift up Cassie's suitcase. Sam grinned and unbuckled her seat belt, climbing across the console and into his lap. Raising his eyebrows, Jack dropped the bag in his hand and turned to face her, shifting Sam's weight and fitting her comfortably around him.

"Hey there," he said casually, sliding his hands underneath her thighs. Sam leaned up and pressed her lips to his neck, nibbling gently on the skin just below his ear. Jack groaned and ran his hands up a little higher, tugging her toward him.

"I really missed you," she said softly in his ear.

Before he could reply, the door behind them popped open and Cassie leaned her head in.

"Whoa. Hi," she said uncomfortably. "Sorry, just getting my stuff. Not looking…"

Sam blushed and pulled the door handle next to her, sliding off Jack's lap to the ground. He gave her a stern look of protest that made Cassie giggle.

"Hey Jack," she said eagerly. "If you want me out of the way, I can take the truck into town. I wouldn't mind. I could go shopping!"

"I don't think so," Jack replied with a wink in Cassie's direction. "I'll just sneak her off in the woods somewhere later."

Sam ignored Cassie's snickering, straightening her t-shirt and trying to look dignified as she reached in the back of the truck for her bags.

_This is certainly going to be an interesting weekend._


	5. Chapter 5

**Happy Wednesday, shippers! I'll be interested to see the reviews after this chapter. You guys are awesome! :)  
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The afternoon was warmer than expected, and the sun beat down harshly on the roof of Jack's cabin. Sam waited in the doorway with her suitcase, not wanting to be presumptuous and drag it into Jack's room. He gestured for her to follow him as he carried her dress into the cabin, and she nervously stepped behind him into the bedroom.

"Am I sleeping in here with you?" she asked carefully.

Jack seemed to be amused by the question and stepped close to her, sliding his hands around her hips and leaning down to speak suggestively in her ear.

"You are _definitely_ sleeping with me."

Sam felt her cheeks burn, and she pulled away when she heard Cassie step into the doorway.

"Let's go for a swim, guys! Is it okay to swim in your pond, Jack?"

He shrugged, still smiling at Sam's expression. "Sure, why not?"

"I didn't bring anything to swim in," Sam objected.

"Oh, just wear your clothes," Cassie countered. "They'll dry."

Jack grinned and half dragged her outside, pulling his t-shirt over his head and tossing it in the grass. Sam had never seen him so relaxed and happy, an almost childlike giddiness about him. She sat down on the dock and took off her shoes, laughing at Cassie as she leapt off and squealed at the cold water. Jack kneeled impatiently by Sam, waiting until she'd tossed her socks in a pile on the grass before he wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her into the pond with a loud splash.

The water was frigid, and Sam immediately came up shivering, glaring Cassie's direction as the breeze hit her. Jack pulled her down until she was submerged up to her chin, and she started to feel a little warmer. Cassie began to backstroke across the pond, clearly enjoying herself.

"This is c-c-c-crazy," Sam stuttered, her teeth chattering loudly. "It's freezing in here."

Jack gestured for her to follow, and began to swim towards the side of the pond, his arms stretching out in front of him to cut long strokes in the water. Sam eyed the cabin and thought of climbing out, but the desire to be close to Jack won out, and she started after him. He stopped near the shore beneath a large tree with its branches hanging down, almost touching the water. It was just shallow enough for her to hold her head up when she stood on her toes, but Jack's grin told her that it wasn't going to matter much. He lifted her up underneath the water, guiding her legs around his waist, and Sam happily slipped her arms up over his bare shoulders.

"You going to warm me up, General?"

Jack took a peek at Cassie across the pond, and deciding it was safe, he leaned his head up to kiss Sam thoroughly, letting his hands roam freely over her skin beneath the water. She sighed into him, holding herself up with her arms and quickly forgetting about the cold. The water lapped up around her neck, but she was lost, enjoying the feel of his hands and lips and his warmth all around her. It wasn't until she felt him tugging at her t-shirt that she came back to her senses. She pulled back and shifted nervously against his body, struggling to keep her head above the water as she looked behind her for Cassie.

"She knows we want to be alone, Sam. Don't worry about it." Jack tried to pull her back to him, but Sam suddenly felt uneasy, almost as if she were being watched. She was reminded of the strange unsettling feeling she'd experienced the past few nights coming home, and it made her extremely anxious.

"Can we not do this here, Jack?" she asked, scanning the shoreline and beginning to shiver again. "Please?"

He sighed and let her go, obviously frustrated. Sam felt a little guilty, so she nodded towards the cabin and smiled shyly.

"I thought I might take a hot shower. Want to join me?"

His eyes lit up, but before he could respond, there was a loud voice from beside the cabin.

"O'Neill?"

Jack sighed again and swam out from behind the tree. "Teal'c! Over here!"

Sam made her way back to the dock and took Teal'c's hand as he helped her out of the pond.

"You seem cold, Colonel Carter," he remarked. Sam laughed and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Very."

Jack called for Cassie to swim back, and he pulled himself up out of the water, grinning widely at the Jaffa staring down at him.

"Good to see you, Teal'c," he said brightly.

Teal'c bowed his head and smiled. "And you as well, O'Neill."

Sam's teeth were chattering loudly, and Jack waved her away with a disappointed expression.

"Go on, go take a shower."

She smiled appreciatively and reached up to give Teal'c a quick hug.

"Be right back," she promised.

She meant to be quick, but the water was warm and soothing, and it was several minutes before she came walking out into the living room, rubbing her wet hair with a towel.

"There she is," Jack remarked cheerfully, patting his knee from where he sat, dripping next to the fireplace. Sam blushed and hoped he wouldn't be offended, choosing to pull up a chair next to him instead. He just shook his head, amused, and took her hand.

"We were just talking about you," he told her with a grin.

"Oh?" Sam looked over at the bright smile on Cassie's face.

_Uh oh._

"What now?" she asked nervously.

"Sam, you have _got_ to have a cake," Cassie said seriously, squeezing the water out of her hair and into the kitchen sink. She had changed into dry clothes, and Sam was amused to see that she had tossed her wet ones in a pile on the floor. Cassie frowned at Sam as if she knew her friend was about to object, and she added, "I know you want everything to be simple, but come on, you just _can't_ get married without a cake."

Jack stared blankly at her. "Honestly, Carter, I can't believe you were even considering it."

Sam laughed and leaned her head over on his shoulder. "Fine, Cassie. You win. We can go into town and order a cake. But please, nothing too fancy, okay?"

Cassie clapped her hands and ran for her purse. "Come on! Let's go!"

"Now?" Sam ran her fingers through her wet hair, watching Cassie drip on the floor as she raced across the room. She looked hopefully at Jack, but he held up his hands in resignation.

"We _can't_ get married without a cake."

She laughed at the confused expression on Teal'c's face, and gave Jack a quick kiss goodbye as Cassie dragged her by her wrist towards the door.

"Be back soon!" she called out, grabbing the keys off the table and following her friend outside.

"What do you think?" Cassie asked enthusiastically, climbing into the truck and slamming the door. "Chocolate? What does Jack like? Never mind, that doesn't matter. What do _you_ like?"

Sam chuckled as she started up the engine. "I think it matters plenty. It's not just my wedding, you know."

Cassie rolled her eyes and buckled her seat belt. "Whatever. It's all about the bride. Trust me. I've seen a _ton_ of wedding movies."

Sam pulled the truck out of the driveway, listening to Cassie prattle on about cake decorations and icing. It wasn't until they pulled onto the main road that she glanced in her mirror and noticed a familiar vehicle behind her.

_Oh, no._

Her chest tightened and she gripped the steering wheel firmly, her eyes on the black Suburban two car lengths behind them. The road was deserted, with no cars in sight in either direction. Cassie was still chattering on, and Sam reached over to lay a hand on her arm.

"Cassie, sweetie," she said, trying to keep her voice even. "Can you please get my phone out of my purse and call Jack for me?"

Her young friend looked confused, but she did as she was asked and dialed the number, handing the phone to Sam when Jack picked up.

"Jack, listen, I don't want to worry you, but I think Cassie and I are being followed."

Jack's voice was calm and authoritative when he responded.

"_What's the vehicle look like?"_

She described it carefully, thankful that Cassie sat quietly in the passenger seat, her eyes wide and her arms wrapped around her knees.

"I'm pretty sure I've seen it before, sir. I noticed it Tuesday when I went out for lunch." She told him about the suspicious man who had been watching her near the café and the eerie feelings she'd had at home, quickly adding that she hadn't seen anyone near her house. She wasn't thrilled with the tone of voice Jack used when he spoke again.

"_Is there a reason you didn't tell me about this, Carter?"_

"I just didn't want you to worry. What should I do, sir? I can't turn around." Sam shivered and glanced to her right.

"Jack, I've got Cassie…" She felt terror in her heart at the thought of anyone hurting the frightened girl at her side, but Jack's voice helped her stay composed.

"_I want you to pull off the road at the first place you see with a lot of people. There's a truck stop a few miles down the road. There should be-"_

There was a tremendous jolt, and Sam dropped the phone down into the floorboard. Cassie screamed as the Suburban revved up and slammed into one corner of her bumper again, causing Sam to swerve the truck to try to compensate. Her adrenaline was surging wildly, and Cassie was gripping her arm, still screaming.

"Oh, my God! Sam, what's going on?"

There was another jarring crash behind them, and Sam lost control of the vehicle. It began to spin rapidly, and she felt the world stop as the truck whirled around and crashed into the ditch. Her body lurched forward and fell back again, and she heard the horrible sound of a voice calling out her name through the phone at her feet. Then all was quiet as everything around her went black.


	6. Chapter 6

**Wow, I'm not sure if everybody loves me or hates me for that last chapter. Keep reading. It's Jack to the rescue! :D**

**OoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Jack O'Neill had told himself many times that he knew all there was to know about fear. After all, he had, more than once, been subjected to unimaginable torture, from both alien and human hands. He knew the terror of watching helplessly as a friend was killed before his eyes, and he had even experienced the unspeakable horror of finding his young son's body crumpled on the floor next to his gun. Still, he was completely unprepared for the panic that seized him when he heard the unmistakable sound of crunching metal and Cassie's terrified scream through the phone. Calling out Sam's name, Jack waved his arm to a concerned Teal'c, gesturing for him to follow Jack out the door of the cabin. They leaped into Teal'c's vehicle and peeled out of the driveway.

The SUV that Teal'c had rented was not built for speed, but that didn't stop him from flying recklessly down the road as Jack listened carefully to his cell phone. At first, there was nothing, but after a few seconds, he heard Cassie start to whimper.

"Cassie!" he said loudly. "Can you hear me?"

"_Jack?"_ she moaned_. "Jack, was that you? I don't know where the phone is. Oh, my God, Jack, Sam's hurt! Sam! Sam!"_

There was a loud scuffling noise, and Cassie began to scream_. "No! Let me go! Sam! Sam, wake up! Jack, help us, please!"_

Jack smashed his fist into the dashboard and cursed in frustration. The terror he originally felt was quickly giving way to rage, and he snapped at Teal'c to drive faster.

_I can't believe she didn't tell me._

Teal'c pressed down harder on the accelerator and tightly gripped the steering wheel.

The noise on the other end of the phone was lessening. Jack heard Cassie screaming from a distance, there was a bit of shuffling around, and then all was quiet. He desperately strained to hear anything from the vehicle as it drove away, and then he called to Sam, in case she was still in the truck, but there was only silence. Finally, he hung up and pulled his wallet out of his pocket, dialing the number written on a dog-eared business card he kept inside.

"_Sheriff's office."_

Jack tried his best to stay calm and asked to speak with the Sheriff, hanging onto the armrest as Teal'c swerved out onto the main road. He gritted his teeth when the woman put him on hold, and he watched the shoulder carefully for any signs of the accident. It was less than two minutes before Teal'c pulled up next to the smoking pickup on the side of the road. Jack kept the phone to his ear, jumping out of the vehicle as it slowed to a stop. It made him sick to his stomach to see the metal dented into the driver's side door, but he was relieved to see that there was no sign of blood inside the cab. He figured that they must have dragged Sam out Cassie's side, which must have taken a little time, and meant that they couldn't be far ahead of them.

"_This is Stokes."_

Jack continued to scan the scene quickly as he spoke.

"Wade, this is Jack O'Neill." He didn't wait for confirmation, but continued on without pausing, jogging along the tire marks in the road. "Listen, I had a few of my people down for the weekend, and a couple of them got into an accident. The truck's in the ditch up here on 34, just south of my place. I'll get it towed, but in the meantime, I need a favor."

Jack ran his eyes over the bits of broken glass and debris that trailed a good distance down the road in front of him.

"_Sure thing, Jack. You need me to call an ambulance?"_

"I need you to send your boys out to find me a black, unmarked Suburban with a dented front fender and at least one busted headlight. It was headed south on 34 about ten minutes ago. Do you have my number?"

"_Yeah, but Jack, I should-"_

"I don't have time, Wade. Just call me when you find that vehicle."

He hung up the phone and slipped it into his pocket, rushing back to Teal'c's SUV. They traded places, and Jack didn't wait for Teal'c to slam his door before he hit the gas and took off down the road.

"They're probably headed for 61," he told Teal'c, his mind switching into survival mode. "It's a straight shot all the way to Duluth. We can catch up." He mashed his foot down on the accelerator, thankful that Teal'c stayed silent.

They drove for almost twenty minutes with no sign of the Suburban, and Jack was just beginning to feel panic returning when his cell phone rang. He answered immediately, his eyes still searching the road in front of him.

"_Jack, one of my deputies thinks he found your vehicle. It was headed toward Two Harbors, but he said it pulled over and stopped along the way. You can't see it from the road though. I'll have to give you directions."_

Jack refused to allow himself to relax, though he was a bit relieved.

"Thanks, Wade. Let's have it."

"_Are you going to tell me what's going on, Jack?"_

He hit the brakes and swerved around a large branch in the road, frowning into the phone.

"I'll fill you in later. Where is it?"

The sheriff sighed and gave Jack the vehicle's location, letting him know that his deputy was parked down the road and out of sight. Thanking him one last time, Jack hung up and tossed the phone to his friend next to him.

"You armed?"

Teal'c raised an eyebrow and patted his jacket.

"Indeed."

Jack nodded, and the two friends sat in silence as they raced down the highway. Tightening his grip on the wheel, Jack stared hard at the pavement stretching out in front of him. His mind began to wander, and he found himself thinking about the way he had planned to spend his evening. He imagined how nervous Sam would have been, and how he would have enjoyed taking his time with her. He would lay her down beneath him, and her hands would tremble as she ran them over his chest and shoulders. He would make her blush with the things he whispered in the dark, and he knew he would have been content to spend all night making her happy, hearing her little sighs and moans in his ear.

Jack twisted the steering wheel beneath his hands, trying to keep down the ache rising in his chest.

"I can't lose her, Teal'c," he said quietly.

His friend said nothing, but Jack knew he understood. He took a deep breath and tried to focus on the task ahead.

_Hang on, Sam. I'm coming._


	7. Chapter 7

**You know, it's really hard to concentrate on writing when my husband keeps yelling out, "Don't zat me, bro!" from the kitchen. Sheesh...**

**Anyway, here's your next chapter. Please review!**

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

_Oh, for crying out loud. Not again._

Sam awoke with a splitting headache, and for a brief moment she couldn't remember what had happened to her. It all came back in a flash, and she shot up to a sitting position, anxious to find Cassie.

"Sam!" Cassie whispered eagerly, obviously relieved that her friend was awake. She was sitting on the floor nearby, her knees against her chest and her hands clasped together in front of her. Her wrists were bound in the same way as Sam's, and there was a large man in a leather jacket standing over her with a gun. Sam couldn't blame Cassie for the fear in her eyes.

She nodded to her friend to let her know she was alright, and then scanned the room around her. It appeared to be some sort of abandoned building, perhaps an old factory. Aside from the man standing guard over Cassie, there were only two others, both hunched over a table in the corner. They seemed to be arguing over something in front of them, and one of the men was shoving a pointed finger onto the hard surface, yelling something indecipherable to his companion.

"Hey, Drake," the man standing over Cassie called out. "The Colonel's awake."

Sam stiffened as the men turned around, recognizing the largest one as the man who had been spying on her at the café. The thinner of the two walked swiftly up to her, reaching down to wrench her up to a standing position by her elbow. She bit her tongue to keep from crying out.

"Colonel Carter, it's a pleasure." The man called Drake had a rough, scratchy voice, but his sarcastic tone seemed to almost slither out of his mouth. Sam didn't bother to hide the disgust in her voice when she replied.

"You guys have made a huge mistake."

He gripped her arm tighter and gritted his teeth. Sam tried to hide the panic she felt as the man in front of Cassie pressed his gun to her young friend's temple. Cassie bit her bottom lip, but she wore a determined expression on her face.

"Don't tell them anything, Sam!"

The man pushed the pistol tighter against her skin and shouted for her to keep quiet. Drake twisted Sam's arm and looked her up and down, sizing her up. She held her chin high, her lip curling defiantly, and he raised his arm to point a finger at Cassie.

"If you want this girl to live, I suggest you cooperate." Before she could reply, he dragged her over a few steps and shoved her into a chair. "Give me the access codes to level 5 of Area 51."

Stunned, Sam stared at Drake and shook her head. "That's what you're after? Access codes?" She thought fast and put on her best poker face. "I hate to tell you this, but I don't have any to give you. I'm set to get new ones next week, so none of my old codes will work."

Drake glared down at Sam for a few seconds, and then nodded to the man standing over Cassie, who jerked her forward and threw her on her knees. Sam sat up straight and looked pleadingly up at Drake.

"I don't have any, I swear! I can't give you what I don't have!"

There was a loud crack as Drake's fist slammed into the side of Sam's face, and Cassie yelled out, struggling to climb to her feet. Drake rubbed his knuckles, and Sam resisted the impulse to smash her foot into his stomach. She blinked a few times and tried to shake away her blurred vision.

_If I end up with a black eye at my wedding…_

Drake waited for her to raise her face to him, and then attempted another punch, grazing the back of her head as she tried to duck it. Cassie was struggling hard against the man who now had her around her middle, screaming out and trying to elbow him in the stomach.

"Let me go! Let go!"

Sam scooted out of the chair and tried to make a run for her friend, but Drake wrenched her to the ground by her forearm. He whipped out a pistol and held it over her, and Sam looked helplessly in Cassie's direction.

"You have ten seconds," Drake snarled. "Ten."

The man with Cassie shoved her back to her knees, returning his gun to her temple.

"Nine."

Sam cursed furiously at the man holding the pistol over her, and Cassie began to sob.

"Eight."

"I DON'T HAVE THE CODES!"

"Seven."

She began to panic. There was no reasoning with them, and she had no doubt at all that they would make good on their threats. Sam looked desperately at Cassie, uncertain what to do.

"Six, five, four…"

"Wait! Please!" She tried to stand, but was met with a boot shoved into her stomach, and she fell back to the floor with a groan. Drake seemed to have lost patience.

"Three, two-"

"EVERYBODY DOWN!"

There was chaos in the room as General O'Neill came storming through the door, firing three bullets into the largest man, not even waiting for him crumple up and fall before he turned and aimed at Drake. Teal'c was close behind him, his gun pointed at Cassie's captor. Sam struggled to one knee and took advantage of Drake' surprised stance, reaching up to try to twist the gun away from him with her bound hands. Cassie leaped to her feet, landing a blow to the knee of the man over her, but he hardly flinched and grabbed her roughly by her elbow.

"Back off, O'Neill! I'll kill her!"

Sam could see Jack struggling to aim out of the corner of her eye, but Drake spun her around, putting her between the two of them. She lost the battle with him and was once again thrown to the ground. She felt his gun pressed into the back of her skull, an she rose slowly, watching Jack and Teal'c steadily aiming their weapons.

"I said down!" Jack yelled, not moving from his position.

Drake shook his head and began backing towards the rear of the building, pulling Sam with him. She could see the uncertainty on Jack's face, and Drake called out to him over Sam's shoulder.

"We're getting out of here, O'Neill! Don't try to stop us!"

Jack kept his aim steady, and Sam knew he was serious when he answered.

"No way is that going to happen."

Drake nodded to the man over Cassie, and Sam stiffened. These men wouldn't need Cassie for anything at all. They would kill her to show Jack they were serious, and she couldn't let them do it.

"Jack, please!" she yelled out across the room. "Cassie!"

Jack's eyes jumped from Sam to Cassie and back again, and she could see the gears turning in his mind. Teal'c took a step forward and Cassie struggled hard against the man holding her.

"Please!" Sam practically screamed. "Don't!"

For a brief moment, all was still. Jack was trying to decide what action to take, and Cassie's captor was watching Drake, waiting for orders. Sam could read anger and terror and doubt in Jack's eyes, and she felt her own fill with tears, knowing all of this was her fault.

_God, I'm so stupid._

The silence was shattered by the sound of screeching tires outside, and Drake began backing up again.

"Carter?" Jack called out loudly, shifting his aim from Drake to the man dragging Cassie and back again. Sam winced at the metal against her skin and gazed at him helplessly. Drake twisted Sam's arm behind her painfully and pressed his gun into her neck.

"You'd better not follow us, General. I swear I'll kill them both!"

Jack didn't move, but keeping his pistol aimed at Drake, he spoke with a cold voice.

"If you walk out that door, I won't rest until I've hunted you down and put a bullet in your head."

The man holding Cassie looked nervously over at Drake, but after receiving a nod, he shoved her out the back door, Drake following close behind. Teal'c looked as if he was going to try to get another few shots in, but Drake stayed ducked behind Sam.

"Carter?" Jack called out again, the frustration in his voice cutting into her. She wished she had the perfect thing to say, but she knew nothing would make it easier for him once they were taken away.

"I'm so sorry, Jack," she cried, struggling against the grip on her arm. "Please don't-"

Before she could finish her request, there was a loud zap from behind the General, and Sam watched helplessly as he groaned and fell to the ground. Before she could see anything else, she was yanked outside and left with the final image of Jack's tortured expression burning in her mind.


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, guys, in defense of all of the complaints about cliffhangers, all I can say is that this would be a very short story if Jack rescued Sam and Cassie right away. Hang in there!  
**

**And thanks for all the reviews. You're amazing! :)**

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

"Alright, who zatted me?"

Jack mumbled the words as he stretched out on his back, trying to get the circulation back to his legs. He blinked a few times, and remembering what he had last seen before he'd lost consciousness, leaped to his feet.

"Teal'c?"

He ignored the stinging pain shooting through his body and spun around, looking for signs of what had happened after he passed out. The large man he'd shot earlier still lay on the ground nearby, but there was no sign of any others. The realization that Sam was gone made him sick to his stomach.

"Teal'c?" he tried again.

"I am here, O'Neill."

The voice was coming from outside, and Jack jogged out the side door to find his friend sitting in the passenger seat of the black Suburban, holding what looked like a large map. All four tires on the vehicle were flat, and Jack could see the sheriff's deputy pacing around nearby on his cell phone.

"What happened?" Jack asked, somewhat annoyed that Teal'c wasn't out chasing after the men who had Sam and Cassie.

"You were shot with a Zat'nik'tel."

Jack rolled his eyes and stepped forward, jerking the map out of Teal'c's hands.

"I know _that_. I mean what happened to the-"

He stopped, noticing what was written on the large sheet of paper.

"Uh…Teal'c? Is this what I think it is?"

Teal'c yanked the paper back out of Jack's hands, looking irritated.

"Indeed. It appears to be plans for the construction of a weapon."

Jack shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs.

"Okay, back up."

Teal'c rolled up the plans and turned in his seat, sliding out of it and onto the ground.

"I pursued the man who shot you, but he and the others drove away with Cassie and Colonel Carter before I could apprehend them. As you can see…" He gestured to the tires on the Suburban. "…they have released the air in the wheels on our vehicles. The deputy has called for backup, and the sheriff will arrive soon to take us where we need to go, though I am uncertain where that will be."

Jack blinked. "Okay. Following so far. What's with the drawing?"

Teal'c slammed the door and walked back to the warehouse, with Jack following close behind.

"I do not believe they expected us to find them so soon. There were numerous things left behind."

He gestured to the table inside, where he had stacked three Zats, a 9mm, and a stack of large papers, not unlike the one he held in his hand.

"I found the Zat'nik'tels inside the vehicle, along with this." He held up the rolled up plans. Jack ran his hand over the items, trying to think. He was struggling to push all emotion out of his mind, but it was difficult.

"Did you get a good look at the other car?"

Teal'c shook his head. "I did not. I informed the sheriff of its approximate description, but I am afraid it was too vague to be of any use."

Nodding distractedly, Jack stretched out one of the sheets of paper and squinted at it.

"Hey, isn't that…"

He stopped, an unpleasant feeling gnawing at his stomach. One of the drawings was a detailed sketch of a power source that looked all-too familiar to Jack. He quickly flipped through the rest of the plans, and realization dawned slowly.

"Uh boy. Teal'c, I need to make a phone call. If Wade gets here, you can fill him in on Sam's disappearance, but get all of that…" He gestured to the items on the table as he pulled out his cell phone. "…out of sight."

Finding the number he was searching for in his contact list, Jack held the phone to his ear and stepped outside.

"_Dr. Jackson."_

"Daniel, it's Jack." He walked over to Teal'c's SUV and frowned at the four slashed tires. "We've got a problem down here…"

He briefly explained the situation, hurrying through the part where he let the men get away with Cassie and Sam in tow. Daniel said nothing as Jack spoke, and it occurred to Jack briefly that it was strange how quiet he was. Ignoring the thought, he finished updating Daniel and added, "I think I have an idea of what these guys want with Carter. Where do we keep the Naquadria that we got from Kelowna?"

"_Uh…"_ Daniel sounded confused. _"At Area 51, why?"_

Jack turned and swiftly walked back to the warehouse, checking to make sure Teal'c was ready to leave.

"That's what I thought. How much do you know about that bomb that the Kelownans built?"

"_A little, but not as much as Sam. It's Jonas who really-"_

"Fine, go get him," Jack interrupted. The sheriff's car was pulling up into the drive, and Jack was in a hurry to leave.

"_Jack, I can't just-"_

"Tell Landry it's an emergency. He'll understand. We're going to catch a flight to Nevada. I'll call you when we land."

He hung up the phone before Daniel could add another protest, reaching out to shake the sheriff's hand.

"Jack, what in heaven's name is going on? Gene said we've got a dead body and two kidnappings!"

Jack waved Teal'c over, and his friend ducked into the backseat of the sheriff's car, a small bag slung over his shoulder and several rolls of paper in his arms. Jack hopped into the passenger seat, gesturing for Wade to get back in.

"I'll explain on the way. Just get us to the airport."

As they sped away, Jack's rubbed his eyes, trying to gather his thoughts. The Kelownans were far from his favorite people, their petty bickering and selfishness trying his temper each time he'd dealt with their government. After their last encounter, Jack had hoped he would never have to deal with anyone from the planet Langara again. Unfortunately, there was no denying that the plans that Sam's captors had left behind were of a Kelownan Naquadria bomb, and Jack couldn't imagine how anyone could have come across them without someone from Kelowna having something to do with it. He sighed and rested his head against the car window.

_This is going to be a long night._


	9. Chapter 9

**Yay, reviews! Thanks guys. And thanks for helping me out with things you think would make the story better. I always appreciate it.  
**

**Vcm, I hope I cleared up a little bit of the mistakes last chapter. Let me know what you think! :)**

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

"_Jack, I realize I'm new to this post, but I can't just have random alien visitors dropping in and wandering off base!"_

Jack shifted his bag over his shoulder, raising his arm to try to hail a cab. He couldn't believe the amount of people that crowded the sidewalks at such a late hour. Las Vegas was far from his favorite city, and he wanted to get out of it as quickly as possible.

"Come on, Hank, he's not just a random…" He frowned at the mob of people surrounding him. "…visitor. It's Jonas, okay. We can trust this guy."

"_Trust is not the issue, Jack, and you know it."_

"Yeah, I know, but look, I really need-."

Teal'c stepped off the curb and Jack yelped, reaching out to pull him back up as the cab in front of him screeched to a stop. Jack blinked at him a moment, and then shrugged, climbing into the backseat.

_That's one way to hail a cab._

"Nellis Air Force Base," he called out to the driver, settling into his seat and returning to his conversation with Hank.

"_Daniel filled me in on the details, though I would have preferred it if I would have actually heard from you, Jack. I talked to Colonel Martin, and he's got a team headed up to talk to your sheriff buddy and take care of the situation up there. Reynolds is on his way down to meet you at Nellis."_

Teal'c was almost grinning, watching all the lights through the cab window as they passed by. Jack frowned and rubbed his eyes. He hadn't slept a wink, and he knew he wasn't likely to for the next several hours at least.

"Thanks, Hank. I'm sorry I didn't call personally. Things have been a little hectic. Now, what about Jonas?"

There was a loud sigh on the other end of the line.

"_He and Daniel left two hours ago."_

In spite of himself, Jack couldn't help but smile.

"I knew there was a reason I liked you, Hank."

"_Yeah, yeah. Just get this wrapped up fast and get my people back here. I've got enough to deal with here without you stirring up trouble."_

Jack hung up feeling better, knowing they at least had backup and a decent lead. He yawned loudly, stretching his arms and leaning back in his seat.

"Is General Landry angry with you, O'Neill?"

Teal'c kept his gaze out the window, and Jack shut his eyes.

"Nah. Just stressed out, I think."

Jack waited for Teal'c to respond, the flashing lights outside making strange patters on the inside of his eyelids…

"O'Neill!"

Jack snapped his head up, surprised to see that they had stopped in front of the base.

"Already?" he asked sleepily, reaching into his pocket for his wallet. He paid the driver and stepped out of the cab, tossing his bag over his shoulder and heading towards the entrance. Colonel Reynolds met him before he made it to the door, giving Jack a stiff salute and gesturing towards the parking lot.

"If you're ready now, sir, we can leave right away."

Jack spun on his heel and pointed ahead, still drowsily rubbing his eyes.

"By all means, lead the way."

They all piled into the car, and Jack filled in Reynolds as quickly as he could, getting a little tired of having to tell of his losing Sam over and over again.

"And you're certain it's the Naquadria that they're after?"

Jack shrugged. "No."

Reynolds looked confused, and Teal'c jumped in to help, leaning over the middle console.

"I believe what O'Neill means is that we cannot be certain of anything. However, it is likely that, whoever this group may be, they captured Colonel Carter for her access to the facility. Perhaps also to assist in the bomb's construction."

Jack winced at the thought, remembering what had happened to Daniel the last time they'd had dealings with the Kelownan's Naquadria bomb.

"Look," he told Reynolds. "They've got to have the stuff to make their bomb, and they probably realize that they have to get it quick, before we're on to them."

"Yeah," Reynolds objected. "But surely they realize that you know about the bomb. I mean, they left the plans for it in the warehouse, right?"

Jack shrugged and ran his hand over the stubble on his face.

"Maybe they didn't think we'd know what it was."

Teal'c looked unconvinced, but Jack refused to worry about it. He had to stay focused. It was hard enough to concentrate on anything without his mind replaying Cassie's screams and Sam's desperate pleas in his ear. He tried to tell himself that she had been through worse, and that she could handle a handful of Trust operatives, or whoever they were. Unfortunately, this didn't have any effect whatsoever on the constant fear that plagued him. The fear that he would, once again, have the thing he loved most torn away from him.

"Step on it, Reynolds," he mumbled, leaning his head back and shutting his eyes. The road hummed beneath them, and Jack took a deep breath, making himself a silent promise. He wouldn't let it happen again.

_I won't let her go without a fight._


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys! I hope you had a great weekend. Thanks for all the reviews. I'm using a couple of your ideas...you guys have some good ones! Keep them coming!  
**

**I've never put a flashback chapter in any of my stories. I figured it was about time...what do you think?**

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Sam couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, an awful churning in her stomach forced her to remember her situation and keep her on guard. There was plenty to think about, and she spent most of the night trying to come up with a plan to help her and Cassie escape. Since she knew it was unlikely that they'd have an opportunity to fight their way out, she decided that their best chance was to somehow get a message to General O'Neill or someone from the SGC, though how was another problem. She had an idea of how it could be done, but it was extremely risky, and she was hoping another plan would come to her. By morning, her entire body ached from lack of sleep, and she wondered what the chances were of her captors bringing her a cup of coffee.

Sam watched Cassie snoozing next to her with a tired smile. Her friend was breathing heavily, exhausted from the long trip.

It had been an extremely uncomfortable drive, the two of them mashed together in the backseat with one of Drake's men. Twice, Sam thought she had a chance to escape, but it would have been impossible to do so without leaving Cassie behind, so Sam held out for a better opportunity.

They'd arrived at the private airfield just before midnight, being roughly loaded on the plane and kept bound for the entire flight. It was at this point that Sam decided she must be dealing with ex-NID, maybe even members of the Trust, though she was fairly certain that none of the men were Goa'ulds. She didn't know any other group with such resources, who would know about the stargate program and be so bold as to kidnap a member of SG1. At least that gave her an idea of who she was dealing with, though she was surprised to see NID operatives, or even those involved with the Trust, acting so recklessly. They had to know that General O'Neill and the Air Force would stop at nothing until she and Cassie were recovered.

Then again, it definitely wasn't the first time she'd been kidnapped.

_These guys never learn._

Sam wasn't sure where the plane had landed, and she and Cassie had been shoved into another vehicle and driven over an hour to some kind of compound. Other than the two heavily armed men who guarded the front entrance, she didn't see anyone else. The small room she and Cassie had been left in for the night had only one small window towards the ceiling, giving them just enough light to make out the four bare walls and the solid, metal door in front of them. Their hands and feet were bound, but Cassie had managed to curl up to a semi-comfortable position, falling asleep soon after they were left alone.

Sam sighed loudly, and her friend stirred beside her.

"Sam?" she mumbled, trying to raise herself up. "Are we there yet?"

She seemed a bit disoriented, and Sam did her best to help her sit up.

"Oh," Cassie groaned, when she looked around the room and remembered where she was. "Right."

Trying to give her a reassuring smile, Sam looked up at the window above them. She wouldn't mind knowing what could be seen outside.

"You think you can get up on my shoulders?"

Cassie shook her head and held up her bound wrists. "Not tied up like this."

Sam couldn't think of anything else for them to do, but she knew she'd better keep things positive for Cassie's sake.

"Don't worry. The General and Teal'c will find us."

Cassie nodded, but she sniffled a little and blinked her eyes, trying to keep the tears from falling. Desperate to come up with something to distract her, Sam gave her a gentle push with her shoulder.

"Hey, have I ever told you about the first time I met General O'Neill?"

Cassie wiped her eyes and tried to smile. "No, but Jack already told me that story. I have a better one." She nuzzled against Sam's shoulder and sighed. "Tell me about when you fell in love with him."

Sam felt the color rise to her cheeks, and she pulled nervously at the restraints on her wrists.

"Oh, Cassie, it was such a long, drawn-out process, I don't even know when-"

"Yes, you do," the girl argued, raising her head up and grinning. "You know exactly when you knew for sure. Tell me, please?"

Sam sighed and leaned her head back against the wall. Despite feeling uncomfortable, she was glad to see her friend thinking about something other than their present situation, so she decided to humor her.

"Well, you remember after I was a host to Jolinar, when you came to sit with me in the infirmary?"

Cassie frowned at the memory.

"Of course I remember. You were so depressed…I was really worried."

Sam gestured for Cassie to lie back on her shoulder and smiled. "Well, after everyone else went home, the General…well, he was a Colonel back then…he came and sat with me. I woke up and he was sitting in a chair by the bed, holding my hand…"

_Sam didn't want to open her eyes. Everything in her mind was fragmented into pieces, and she longed to fall back to sleep where she wouldn't have to deal with the reality of what she had just gone through. Someone was holding her hand and rubbing her palm with their thumb, and the touch was warm and soothing. Even in her confused, distracted state, she knew exactly whose hand it was._

"_Colonel?" she mumbled, her eyes fluttering open to see O'Neill perched on the edge of a chair, one elbow propped up on the bed and his chin in his free hand. He didn't move, but spoke softly to her._

"_Hey, Carter. How you feeling?"_

_She slid her hand out of his, glancing nervously around the infirmary. It was dark and quiet, and Janet was sitting at a desk with her back to them, typing something on the computer. Sam sat up against her pillow and tried to smile._

"_I'm fine, sir."_

_She could tell by his expression that he wasn't convinced. He looked over at Janet, and hesitantly rose out of his chair, sitting on the edge of the bed and staring down at his hands. Sam waited patiently for him to speak, and he finally turned his head to look over at her, his voice warmer than she was used to._

"_You know, you don't have anything to prove to me, Carter."_

_Sam felt something inside of her crumble, and she nodded, her lower lip trembling as tears began to spill over her lashes. Jack stared at her for a few seconds, and then he slowly swung his legs up beside her, scooting back against the wall._

"_C'mere," he said gently, draping his arm over her shoulders. Sam wanted to show him that she was strong, that she could tough it out, but the moment she leaned her head on his shoulder, she completely fell apart. She tried to hold in the tears, but they poured down her face, her shoulders shaking with the loud sobs that she couldn't keep back._

"_Shh," Jack whispered, petting her head and reaching his other arm up to pull her against his chest. "Everything's okay now."_

_Janet left her computer and hurried over, but O'Neill shook his head at her._

"_Just give us a minute," he said quietly._

_She seemed uncertain and looked down at Sam, who just nodded and sniffed, not sure what she should say. Janet reluctantly turned and returned to her desk. _

_Time seemed to stand still as Sam cried out all of her frustration and sorrow, not even certain what it was that she was mourning. Jack mumbled the occasional comforting phrase, resting his chin on top of her head. Finally, when she couldn't cry anymore, Sam leaned back and wiped the tears from her cheeks._

"_Hey," Jack said softly, raising her chin with his fist. "You're not going through this alone, you hear me?"_

_Sam nodded, and he pulled her back to him and leaned against the wall, his arms wrapping tightly around her exhausted body…_

"He'd never held me like that before, and it was a long time before he did it again." Sam couldn't help but smile at the memory. "I fell asleep right there in his arms."

Cassie sighed from where she rested against her friend's shoulder.

"That's when you knew."

"I guess so," Sam replied with a shrug. She hadn't thought about that night in a long time, and she blushed a little at Cassie's eager eyes when she raised herself up to smile at Sam. "I mean, he was gone when I woke up, and we never talked about it, but yeah, I think that's when I knew."

"That was a long time ago, Sam," Cassie scolded. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

Sam laughed at her young friend's irritated expression. There was no way she would understand about regulations and O'Neill being her commanding officer, how she never could quite be sure of how he felt about her, or how mixed up things had gotten with Jolinar's memories.

"Things were complicated," she stated simply. Cassie rolled her eyes and glanced around the room.

"Speaking of complicated," she sighed. "Do you know what these guys want with us? I mean, have they come back to get those codes from you?"

Groaning loudly, Sam shifted her position to sit on her knees.

"I'm sure they haven't forgotten, if that's what you mean."

"What's on level 5?" Cassie asked curiously, twisting her wrist to try to reach an itch on the back of her hand.

Sam glanced around the room and wondered if they were being watched.

"It's not that kind of level," she explained. "It's a level of clearance to get to where they keep…" She paused and chewed a little on her bottom lip, not wanting to say too much. "…something very valuable. Only those with level 5 clearance can access it."

"Oh." Cassie was quiet for a moment, and then added, "They'll kill me, won't they? If you don't give them the codes?"

Looking her friend in the eye, Sam scooted closer to her and rested her bound hands on top of Cassie's.

"I'm not going to let that happen, you hear me?"

Cassie was clearly distraught.

"But you can't tell them-"

"I will _not_ let them hurt you," Sam interrupted. She wished that she could explain everything to her young friend, but she couldn't risk speaking some things aloud. Instead, she tried to reassure her with a smile.

"Trust me, Cassie. Everything will be fine."


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry this chapter is up so late. Please review! :)**

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It wasn't long before the thick, metal door creaked open and a man Sam hadn't seen before came storming in, cutting the restraints around her ankles, yanking her up by her arm, and dragging her out the door. Cassie called out to her, and Sam strained her neck to glance back.

"Don't worry, Cassie. Everything's okay."

Sam wished she could believe those words herself, but she felt more confident knowing that she at least had a fragment of a plan to work with, even if it was less than ideal.

She was led down a brightly lit hallway and into a small office, where Drake sat waiting for her. The man escorting her dropped Sam into a chair and turned to leave, shutting the door loudly behind him.

"Well, Colonel," Drake said with a smirk. "Did you sleep well?"

Sam felt sick at the sight of him, and she glared defiantly, clenching her teeth together.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." He was perched on the edge of a large desk, twirling his pistol around in his hands. "You've been tortured in the past and never gave up any information. I've read the reports. Don't worry. I'm not even going to bother."

Sam winced, not sure she liked where this was heading.

"I'll just make it simple for you." He set the gun down on the desk, spinning it with one finger as he spoke. "You give me the codes, I let Miss Frasier go. She's free to meet O'Neill at the nearest airport and go home." Sam narrowed her eyes at him, and Drake stopped the gun, pushing the handle to point the barrel at her chest. "If you don't give me the codes, I'll kill you both and find someone else. There are other scientists with your level of clearance, you know." He smiled at her and bowed his head. "Granted, they're nothing compared to you, but I'm sure they'll be much more cooperative."

Sam followed the man with her eyes as he hopped down from the desk and crossed the room, picking up a small notebook from a nearby table and pulling a pen from his pocket. He walked back and stood hovering over her.

"Simple choice, Colonel. Codes, or no codes?"

Sam glared suspiciously. "How do I know you'll really let Cassie go?"

He grinned wide, shrugging his shoulders. "I guess you don't."

There was nothing Sam wanted more than to smash her fist into the man's sickeningly white teeth. She kept her eyes focused on him as she spoke.

"I'll give you the codes, under one condition."

Drake leaned back against the desk and crossed his arms.

"And what's that?"

"Let Cassie go first."

Drake didn't seem surprised, but he sighed loudly and rubbed his forehead.

"Colonel, I don't have the patience for this. Codes, _then_ the girl goes free."

Sam shook her head and started to protest, but Drake grabbed his pistol off the desk and pointed it at her forehead, obviously not in the mood to bargain.

"Alright!" she cried, pressing her back against her chair. "Enough."

He raised his eyebrows and lowered the gun, obviously surprised she had given up so easily.

"I warn you, Colonel Carter, if you give me false information-"

"We both die a horrible, painful death," she interrupted. "I get it. Honestly, it doesn't really matter. You'll never get out of that facility with what you're after, codes or no codes."

Drake laughed and shook his head. "Don't be so sure."

He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a small, circular device, fastening it to his jacket. Sam's skin crawled as his body seemed to ripple and quiver, and an image of Daniel took his place.

"Handy little things, aren't they?" Daniel's voice said cheerfully. "Now, why don't you write those numbers down for me?"

Sam swiped the notepad from his hands and awkwardly scrawled down a set of numbers, her bound wrists making it difficult to write. She glared furiously at the false appearance of her friend standing over her as she dropped the pad into his hand.

"Alright, you've got what you wanted. Now, let us go," she insisted.

Looking down at the paper in his hand, Drake reached inside his jacket for the Mimetic imaging device, the image of Daniel disappearing and Drake's normal appearance returning. He walked to the door and swung it open, gesturing for the guard to return and take Sam back to the room with Cassie.

"As soon as we know that these codes are good, Colonel, your friend will be free to leave."

_Sure she will._

"However," he added. "I may keep _you_ around. I can think of a few things you'd be useful for."

Sam clenched her teeth as the guard jerked her back to her feet, leading her back down the hallway and shoving her into the small room. Cassie struggled to her knees, looking relieved.

"Sam! I was starting to get worried. What happened?"

As soon as the door closed behind her, Sam sighed and slid down to sit on the floor, her legs stretching out next to Cassie's. She tried to keep her voice confident as she reassured her friend with a smile.

"Don't worry, Cassie. We're going to be out of here in no time."


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey there, my shippers. Got another chapter for you. **

**Just a note:  
**

**I hope I didn't make any unforgivable mistakes in this chapter. If I had SG-1 on DVD, I'd re-watch every relevant episode before writing anything. Since I can't, please just keep in mind that I'm just writing this as I go, relying on memory, the internet, and advice and ideas from you guys to hold this plot together. But please remember, it's just fanfiction. Don't think too hard. Just enjoy it. :)**

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"Another cup of coffee, General?"

Jack looked up at the young sergeant from behind the file in his hand, letting his expression answer for him.

"Or…not."

"Sergeant," he remarked, glancing across the room at Teal'c and wondering why the man wasn't pestering _him_. "This is the fourth cup of coffee you've brought me. Don't you have anything better to do?"

The sergeant started to pull his hand back, but Jack reached out and took the styrofoam cup from him, sipping at the coffee and waved the young man away.

After making sure that the Naquadria was still secure, Jack had left Reynolds with the vault, seeing to it that the security in that part of the building was doubled. Afterwards, he and Teal'c had spent a considerable amount of time in a meeting with Dr. Richard Sanders, a chubby, nervous little man who Jack decided looked like an eggplant. Carter would be taking his place as head of Research and Development, and he was being reassigned to the outpost in Antarctica. Dr. Sanders seemed genuinely concerned about Sam, and he poured over the plans Teal'c had brought in. While he remarked that he recognized the design from Dr. Jackson's description, he also complained that the plans were not detailed enough to be of much use. Jack left the meeting with almost no new information, reinforcing his dislike of scientists as a whole.

"O'Neill."

Jack lowered the file in his hands again and took another sip of his coffee, glancing over at Teal'c questioningly.

"What?"

His friend crossed the room and sat in the chair next to him.

"There is something that concerns me. If the Tau'ri scientists at this facility are unfamiliar with the designs of this weapon, how is it that these men have stumbled upon it? Would they not have to have acquired it from the Kelownans?"

Jack shrugged and stretched his legs, rubbing his knee and wincing.

"I don't know, Teal'c. That's something I plan to ask Jonas."

The door of the waiting room swung open, and Jack stood slowly.

"Speak of the devil."

Jonas and Daniel hurried in, followed by Dr. Sanders, and Jonas stepped forward eagerly, grinning wide and holding out his hand to Jack.

"General O'Neill, good to see you."

Jack shook his hand and smiled back, surprised how glad he was to see Jonas again. "Likewise. How are things back home?"

Dr. Sanders seemed suspicious of Jonas, and Jack laughed inwardly at the way he bobbed around them, watching his every move. Jonas tried to ignore him, but as he spoke, he watched the man with a confused look on his face.

"Uh…nice. Uneventful. Any news about Colonel Carter?"

Jack filled Jonas and Daniel in on what they had learned, namely nothing, and the group left the room, following Dr. Sanders to a small conference area, where he had laid out the plans for the bomb across a low table. Jonas immediately walked over and ran his hand across them, his eyes scanning the information scrawled on the pages. It didn't take him long to stand up straight again and give Jack a concerned look.

"Where did they get this?" he asked curiously.

"Funny," Jack replied. "I was going to ask you the same thing."

Jonas raised his eyebrows, and Jack dodged an elbow in the ribs from Daniel.

"Jesus, Jack, don't say it like _that_."

Shrugging his shoulders, Jack plopped down in one of the chairs at the table, rubbing his tired eyes.

"I'm sure _you_ had nothing to do with it, Jonas, but the fact is, your government never supplied us with those plans, at least, not officially." He tried to stifle a yawn and rested his chin in his hand. "So how did these guys get a hold of them?"

Jonas looked a bit confused. "Actually, that's not really what I meant." He scooted the page over in front of Jack and pointed to the drawing. "These aren't Kelownan designs."

Jack shook his head, trying to focus. "Jonas, this is the thing that killed Daniel." He blinked and shifted his gaze to his friend standing across the table. "Well, sort of. But I know what it looks like."

Daniel smiled a little at Jack, obviously pleased. Then he glanced down at where Jonas was pointing, and his grin faded.

"Uh, oh."

Jack looked from Jonas to Daniel and back again, staring blankly. He hated being out of the loop.

"What?"

Jonas slowly shook his head again, looking a bit uncomfortable.

"General, these plans aren't for building a Kelownan Naquadria bomb."

Jack continued to stare.

"Yes, they are."

"Jack…" Daniel groaned.

Jonas pointed down to the drawings again.

"See this?"

Jack stubbornly refused to look where he was pointing, knowing he wouldn't follow anyway, and Daniel smiled sympathetically at Jonas.

"Well, it's supposed to be the Naquadria core," Jonas explained. "But there are no specifications on the amount of the isotope or the level of radiation-"

Jack held up his hand and made a loud noise of protest. His head was already aching and he was not in the mood for technobabble.

"Just get to the point."

The two men shared a look across the table, which Jack chose to ignore.

"Well, whoever has Colonel Carter didn't get these plans from Kelownan scientists. It's like they were just drawn up in a hurry, with all the key parts standing out so it would be recognizable. There's a whole lot more information they would need if they were actually trying to build the bomb."

Jack frowned in Dr. Sanders direction.

"Let me guess," he said accusingly. "This is something _Carter_ would have seen right off."

Sinking down in his seat, Sanders scowled back at Jack and mumbled, "I told you they weren't detailed enough."

Jonas rubbed the back of his neck, looking thoughtful.

"It's a pretty good imitation, despite the missing details. They still couldn't have just drawn this up themselves. Did these guys have access to your stargate?"

Daniel shook his head. "No, but if this is the Trust we're dealing with, they did have an Al'kesh, and who knows what they might have been up to before they were infiltrated by the Goa'uld, or afterwards for that matter."

Jack propped his head up with his hand and stared into his empty styrofoam cup.

"So, basically, what you're saying is that these guys got somebody who knows what your bomb looks like to draw up some fake bomb blueprints and then left them for us to find. Why?"

"It is just as I suspected," Teal'c said ominously, moving forward to join the others around the table. "These designs were merely a distraction."

"What?" Jack turned and glared. "When did you suspect _that_?"

Daniel stepped between them and straightened his jacket, not looking Jack in the eye when he spoke.

"Uh, Jack, just a thought. How much security did you have moved to the vault?"

_Oh, crap._


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! I hope you're having a great day! Here's your chapter for today. Please review if you enjoy it! Thanks! :)**

**(Oh, by the way, this website seems to be having some problems sending out emails with new updates, so if you're confused about what's going on, chances are you may have skipped a chapter. You may have to go back and find what you missed. Sorry about that.)**

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"So, what exactly are we looking for?"

Daniel peered at the screens in front of him, searching hard for anything unusual. Jack continued to ignore him, switching his gaze from one display to the next, hoping something would stand out. The Major on duty in the security room had scooted his chair out of the way, not used to so many people squeezing into the room with him.

"Can't you sound an alarm or something?" Jonas asked, but Jack shook his head, switching to another screen.

"If there is somebody sneaking around the base, I don't want to scare them off. We need to find Carter and Cassie."

"Here's something."

Daniel was blinking at one of the monitors, looking somewhat annoyed. He pointed his finger at the screen, and the others huddled up behind him.

"Uh, Daniel," Jack said with a frown. "Isn't that you?"

Rolling his eyes, Daniel answered sarcastically, "Yes, Jack. That's me."

The Major picked up the phone on the wall and asked to speak with his commanding officer, nodding to Jack when he motioned for him not to sound an alarm.

"Where's he headed?" Daniel mumbled.

They watched the Daniel on the monitor as he rounded a corner, nodding to a pair of armed guards as he flashed his badge and kept walking. The Daniel next to Jack crossed his arms in irritation.

"Okay, those guys should be fired."

On-screen Daniel approached a heavy, metal door, swiping his badge and typing briefly on a keypad. The lone guard across the hall hardly even glanced at him.

"Forget fired," Jack remarked. "Let's just line them up outside and shoot 'em."

The Major spoke up from his corner, holding his hand over the phone's mouthpiece.

"Only those with level 5 security clearance codes can access that area. He won't be able to get in there without the-"

Seeing the Major's surprised expression, Jack turned and looked back at the screen. Imitation Daniel was walking confidently through the open door and into the room.

"Let me guess," Jack sighed. "Carter has…"

"...level 5 security clearance codes," the Major finished for him. "Yes, sir."

Daniel was shaking his head. "No way would she give them those codes, Jack."

Jack felt a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, wondering what exactly they did to get her to give them up, and praying there was another explanation. A handful of officers appeared in the doorway, and Jack nodded to Teal'c, who left with them.

"Major," he then asked, rubbing his forehead and trying to remain calm. "What's stored in that room?"

The Major held the phone between his ear and shoulder, and he typed a few things on his keyboard, squinting at the monitor.

"The most valuable thing would be the Zero Point Module that was recently recovered in Egypt."

Jack groaned and focused his attention back to the security footage. Dr. Sanders, who seemed to have been forgotten, held up one finger from where he stood in the corner.

"Um, General-"

"Looks like that's what he's after," Jack interrupted, ignoring the pudgy scientist behind them. "I don't get it. How's he expect to-"

They all watched in surprise as the ZPM seemed to disappear the moment the Daniel on the monitor took it into his hands, allowing him to turn and walk right out of the room, seemingly empty-handed. Jack blinked a few times, waiting for an explanation.

"Uh, Daniel?"

"I don't know, Jack. If he's using a Mimetic imaging device, then it's possible they've figured out a way to expand the holographic image, encompassing a greater area than it was originally designed for."

Jack didn't bother to pretend that he understood, and he raised himself up from the chair, in a hurry to leave the room. He had wasted enough time. Waving Daniel and Jonas towards the exit, he turned to the Major holding the phone next to him.

"We'll need our weapons back. I want every exit covered."

The man nodded and repeated Jack's request into the phone, and the others dashed out of the room, leaving behind a very annoyed Dr. Sanders crossing his arms in the corner.

As they rushed down the hallway, Daniel fell in step beside Jack.

"You know we can't let him leave with that ZPM."

Jonas hurried to keep up, adding from behind them, "But if he doesn't make it back with what he came for, chances are-"

Jack held up his hand and walked faster. He didn't even want to think about it.

"This is one guy, Daniel. There's no way he's making it out of here. Besides, you and I both know there's no way Carter would have given them that code unless she had a reason."

They met a group of soldiers waiting for them at the front entrance, and Jack began to gear up, tossing a zat to Jonas.

"Remember how to use this?"

Jonas frowned down at the weapon, clearly less than eager about jumping back into combat, but he nodded to Jack and waited as he and Daniel gathered the last of their things. Jack signaled the rest of the men to cover the exit, and then he, Daniel, and Jonas headed back inside. A loud alarm sounded over their heads, and Jack cursed under his breath.

"Great," he grumbled in frustration. "There was almost no security left in that part of the building. How could I have been so stupid?"

Grateful that the others kept their mouths shut, Jack gestured for Daniel to take the lead, and they followed him across the base, the alarm wailing all around them. They ran into Colonel Reynolds and his team as they reached the area where Imitation Daniel had last been seen, and as soon as the men saw the real Daniel round the corner, there was a cry from the group of soldiers and several guns were raised, causing Daniel to hold up his hands and yell out, "It's me! It's me!"

Jack took this as a bad sign.

"Well?" he barked. "What happened?"

Reynolds stepped forward, looking nervously at Jack as the others slowly lowered their weapons.

"We don't really know, General. They were watching the guy on the cameras. They said he was in disguise as Dr. Jackson and was headed down this hallway, but we never saw him. We met the other team when we reached the middle, and all we saw were our guys. I don't get it."

Jack picked up the nearest phone and called back up to the security room, sending Reynolds and his team off to join the search. Daniel and Jonas waited patiently beside him.

"_Major Collins."_

Jack was beyond frustrated, and the alarm screaming above him was not helping his headache.

"Major, what the _hell_ is going on? Where did our guy disappear to?"

"_I don't know, sir. One minute he was there, and the next he was gone. I've been looking at the feed, but I can't see the other Dr. Jackson anywhere. Also, sir, there's something I should show y-."_

"O'Neill!"

Jack spun around to see Teal'c hurrying down the hallway towards him, and he shoved the phone into Daniel's hands.

"Here, you handle this."

Teal'c slipped his zat back into its place and stopped in front of Jack, looking frustrated.

"I am uncertain how he has managed to slip through our grasp, but there were few guards posted in this area, and I believe the technology on the imaging devices has been modified. If he were still using the likeness of Daniel Jackson, he would have been discovered. I believe he has taken another identity."

Jack's heart sunk as he realized what a fool they'd made of him. They had to know they'd never be able to access the ZPM with security as tight as it was, unless someone was dumb enough to move most the guards to another part of the base. They knew that the threat of someone swiping their Naquadria would cause Jack to do just that.

_Nice going, O'Neill. You just lost our one good ZPM._

As bad as that was, an even worse thought was worming its way into his brain, and hard as he tried to ignore it, Jack couldn't help but realize that his mistake might have cost him something much, much more valuable.


	14. Chapter 14

**Thanks for all your reviews last chapter. You guys are so sweet. :)**

**I guess everybody's pretty ready for Jack to find Sam and Cassie, so let's hurry things along, shall we?**

**One note on this chapter: I am not a scientist. Obviously. But I did the best I could.  
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The base was in a state of chaos. Soldiers in uniform and lab coat-clad scientists rushed to and fro through the halls, and Jack couldn't count the amount of times he had to shield Daniel from the wrath of those who were convinced he was their intruder. Somehow, they got through the next hour and a half without him being shot, and once it was clear that the mystery man had, in fact, escaped, Jack and his team found themselves back in the security room with Major Collins.

"Alright, Daniel," Jack sighed, collapsing into a chair with what felt like his tenth cup of coffee. "What've you got?"

Daniel and Major Collins were both huddled in front of a computer screen, Collins typing furiously and Daniel peering at the monitor.

"I think she sent us a message," he said excitedly, scooting forward in his seat. Jack sat up a little straighter and set down his coffee.

"Carter sent us a message? How?"

His eyes lighting up, Daniel tugged at the monitor and tilted it so that Jack could see the numbers written on the screen.

"With this."

Jack blinked a few times, letting his blank expression speak for him, and Collins took over for Daniel.

"Colonel Carter was issued a six-digit security passcode for level 5 access on this base," he explained. "When this man typed in her code, he added five extra numbers, obviously not realizing they weren't part of the code."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "The passcode remains valid if more numbers are entered than are required?"

"Right," Collins answered. "It accepts the code as soon as it's been entered, but Colonel Carter must have realized that the computer would allow up to five extra digits to be put in afterwards before it would recognize it as a separate code and see it as invalid."

Jack downed the rest of his coffee and leaned forward, glad he could actually follow this conversation. "What are the extra numbers he put in?"

Collins gestured to the screen in front of them. "36412."

Jack looked expectantly at Daniel, but he shook his head, confessing, "I have no idea what it means."

The room was quiet for a few minutes, as the rest of the group stared hard at the numbers on the screen. Jack quickly grew bored and started shredding his empty styrofoam cup.

"Hey Daniel," he spoke up, watching the others concentrating on the monitor. "Doesn't that new ship of ours have Asgard sensors on it?"

Keeping his eyes on the screen, Daniel answered distractedly. "Yeah, but we can't trace the ZPM, if that's what you were thinking." Jack turned back to his growing pile of styrofoam, and hardly even noticed when Dr. Sanders suddenly appeared in the doorway, excitably stepping into the room and approaching the others.

"Pardon me, Dr. Jackson, but yes, you can."

Daniel raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms. Jack smiled a little at his offended expression.

"I'm pretty sure that even Asgard technology is incapable of detecting zero point energy, or the quantum foam that-"

"Yes, yes," Sanders interrupted, waving his hand dismissively. "But as I tried to tell you earlier…" He glared in Jack's direction. "…the module stored in that room was a replica."

Jack dropped the remains of his cup, and it toppled over and rolled onto the floor.

"_What?"_

Dr. Sanders took a couple of steps back, ducking behind Daniel when he saw Jack's face.

"I did try to tell you, General!"

"Sanders," Jack practically yelled, gesturing wildly with his arms. "All you had to do was say, 'Hey guys, don't panic! Not the real thing!'"

Jonas stepped forward, eying Jack carefully as he spoke. "So, how good of a replica are we talking about? How soon before they figure out that it's not real?"

"And why was it there in the first place?" Daniel added, trying to look over his shoulder at the man holding onto his jacket. "Where's the real one?"

Sanders peeked out from behind Daniel's right arm, speaking hurriedly.

"It's here, stored in a secure location known only to myself, Colonel Carter, and a small number of trusted personnel. It was her idea, you know. She came by two weeks ago to inspect our security systems, and she was…well, dissatisfied. She recommended that we increase security measures for certain artifacts, such as the zero point module."

"So you made a replica?" Daniel stepped away from Sanders and sat down next to Jack, who was still seething, but had settled back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Yes, but while it may look identical to the untrained eye, anyone familiar with the technology will recognize instantly that it's a fake."

Jonas looked concerned. "So we don't have much time. You said we can trace it?"

"We can." Sanders looked uneasily in Jack's direction. "Actually, General O'Neill had the right idea." Despite his irritation with Sanders, Jack smiled proudly at this, causing Daniel to roll his eyes. Sanders relaxed a bit and continued. "Colonel Carter placed a small amount of a very specific isotope into the model ZPM, giving us the ability to trace it if it were stolen. The Asgard sensors on board the _Daedalus_ can be used to detect this isotope, and here…" He pointed to the five extra numbers from Carter's security code. "…is the formula."

Jonas' eyes lit up, and he said excitedly, "Of course! 36412 is C6D12! That's what your scientists have labeled Cyclohexane-d12!"

"Yes!" Jack called out sarcastically, snapping his fingers. "Of course!"

Ignoring him, Daniel stood from his chair and joined the other two scientists standing behind Major Collins.

"Okay, the sensors can be narrowed to search in close proximity to us to begin with...Jack, this is going to take a little bit."

Taking the hint, Jack stood and stretched. "Well, Teal'c," he yawned. "I guess you and I are going to have to find something else to do while the eggheads work their magic."

He kept it to himself, but Jack was filled with a profound sense of relief. The ZPM wasn't lost after all, and Carter had pulled yet another rabbit out of her hat, giving them a way to find her and bring her and Cassie home. They might even find them before the day was out, and Jack smiled to think that the wedding could still go on as planned, with only a few bumps and bruises to show for their adventure, and a great story to tell around the campfire.

Leaving the others to their work, Jack followed Teal'c out of the room, a small smile on his face.

_Now, to find the cafeteria…_


	15. Chapter 15

**I hope everybody's having a great weekend! **

**Yes, yes, I know I am going to hear it from you guys after this chapter. I hope you enjoy it though!**

**Please review!**

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Time should have passed slowly for Sam and Cassie as they sat together in the small room, talking quietly and constantly struggling to get comfortable on the hard concrete floor, but somehow the hours seemed to fly by. Sam tried to stay focused on her conversation with Cassie, answering the girl's questions with one or two words and the occasional laugh, but her mind was elsewhere. She desperately hoped that Dr. Sanders was working on the base, and that he would explain to the others why she sent the formula. The man was an extremely capable scientist, but he wasn't known for his backbone, and she had a hard time imagining him having the guts to approach General O'Neill, especially if Jack was in a bad mood, which he was sure to be.

There were other things that worried her too. What if they succeeded in preventing Drake or the man he sent from taking what he was after? Then her message would be of no use, and once they figured out what had happened, Jack would feel terrible. Sam sighed, knowing perfectly well he must feel terrible already. She wished for the thousandth time that she had just been open with him about her suspicions from the beginning. It wasn't a matter of trust, of course, just a matter of pride. She had been so certain that she could handle things on her own, and she knew what would have happened if she'd explained the situation to Jack. He would have sent someone to watch her house, to follow her to and from the base, and to travel with her and Cassie on the plane. In retrospect, that wouldn't have been a bad idea, and Sam sighed again, realizing that he would have never allowed her and Cassie to travel alone into town, and this whole mess would have been averted.

"You okay, Sam?"

Forcing herself to smile, Sam nodded and curled her feet up beneath her.

"Just tired of sitting here. You?"

Cassie seemed to have gotten an emotional second wind, having cheered up considerably in the past hour.

"Oh, I'm fine. My legs are kind of hurting. Hey, what do you think Jack and Teal'c are doing right this minute?"

Sam leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes.

"They're with Daniel at Area 51…" She chewed on her lower lip, as if in thought. "…eating cake."

"They are _not_," Cassie protested with a giggle. She shifted her position and Sam opened her eyes, watching Cassie nibble on her thumbnail, speaking cheerfully from behind it. "They're on their way to find us of course. Jack's driving, and…Daniel's in the backseat trying to unfold a map, because they're probably lost." Sam laughed quietly, so Cassie added, "And now Jack's unwrapping a candy bar..."

"Snickers," Sam interjected. "And Teal'c is in the front seat, trying to talk over Daniel to tell him that they passed the exit ten minutes ago-"

The metal door in front of them suddenly creaked and swung open, and Sam stiffened. Two men entered and, releasing the restraints around Cassie's ankles, pulled the two women to their feet, dragging them out of the room without a word. Cassie's eyes were wide, but Sam could tell that she was trying to be brave.

Sam knew what was coming, and it was what she had been dreading all afternoon.

_Please hurry, Jack!_

They were led down a different hallway than Sam had been down previously, and the walk was much longer. Sam tried to slow her pace as much as possible to kill a little time, and the man gripping her forearm had to almost drag her down the hall. Finally, the men walked them into a large room with high ceilings and concrete floors, looking to Sam like some kind of garage or shop. It was empty except for a line of vehicles and one long table in the center, with Drake standing in front of it. Sam hid her relief at seeing the ZPM sitting on the table beside him.

The two men pushed Sam and Cassie forward, and then remained behind them as they approached Drake and stopped in front of him. He did not look happy.

"I told you what would happen if you lied to me."

Sam feigned a look of confusion. "I didn't! I gave you the right code, I swear!"

He lifted the ZPM from the table and held it in front of her.

"I'm not stupid, Colonel. I know this is not a real zero point module."

She looked over the device and opened her eyes wide. "Oh, my god. You're right, it's not! You guys must have grabbed the wrong one! I don't know wh-"

Drake slammed the device down on the table with a loud bang, and Sam clamped her mouth shut.

_He's not buying it._

"I don't have time for this, Colonel. Do you know what will happen if my employer shows up and we don't have what he's asked for?"

_Maybe he'll shoot you in the head and save Jack the trouble._

"Your employer?" she asked innocently, still trying to buy time. Cassie was trembling beside her, and Sam wished her arms were free so she could take the girl's hand. "I don't understand. I thought the Trust was taken over by the Goa'uld. Who could you be working for?"

Drake leaned back on the table and crossed his arms.

"The Trust," he spat out. "What an ironic name. We did trust in them...in our cause, in our country…and look where it got us. The Goa'uld used our very organization to infiltrate this planet." He looked back at the two men standing behind Sam and Cassie, speaking bitterly. "Not all of us were used as hosts, Colonel. They have other ways."

Sam stared in Drake in shock. "Our war with the Goa'uld is over! There's no one left in power to-"

"You know _nothing_, Colonel," he interrupted fiercely. "Our employer will be coming soon, and when he does, he will expect us to have carried out his instructions. Thanks to you, I'll have to take more drastic measures to get ahold of that ZPM." He paused and grinned, leaning forward until his face was only inches away from Sam's. "But it doesn't matter. We will get it, and when he comes, he will reward us with power while the rest of this puny planet is left defenseless for the next alien race that comes along to claim it."

Sam glared furiously at Drake. "You can't be serious." He leaned back against the table and grinned wider, and Sam felt sick. "You've not only betrayed your country, you've betrayed your entire planet."

"Oh, save it," Drake said in disgust. "This planet's days are numbered. Just like yours."

He gestured to the men behind her and one of the men shoved Cassie down to her knees. The girl looked up to Sam with terror in her eyes, and Sam struggled against the man holding her.

"You sick, twisted, son of a-"

"You had your chance, Colonel!" Drake hissed. "You could have cooperated with me, but no, you had to be a hero." He pulled his pistol out of its holster and aimed at it at the frightened girl at his feet.

"Watch closely. I'll show you what heroes get for their trouble."


	16. Chapter 16

**I can't wait to hear what you guys think of this one!**

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Sam was out of options. Maybe her team hadn't been able to decipher her message. Maybe Dr. Sanders was off for the weekend. Maybe they just hadn't made it in time. Either way, Sam realized with a heavy heart that she was on her own, and she looked down at the young girl kneeling beside her, knowing that she had only one option left to her.

With a determined cry, Sam slammed her foot into the knee of the man behind her and threw herself into Drake, the pistol in his hands going off and the bullet whizzing harmlessly over Cassie's head. The girl screamed and ducked down low as Sam and Drake's bodies sprawled out onto the ground, the gun clattering to the floor. Sam held her hands together and swung her bound fists into the side of Drake's face, striking him again and again until someone wrenched her backwards and off of him. Refusing to give up, Sam kicked the gun as hard as she could, sending it sliding across the concrete floor and underneath one of the cars parked across the room.

Drake let out a yell of frustration and swung back up to his feet, landing a solid punch into Sam's stomach and watching with satisfaction as she doubled over in pain. The man behind her jerked her back up again, and Sam struggled to catch her breath.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you Colonel?" Drake growled, running his fingers over his cheek and wincing. He held out his hand to the man standing behind Cassie, who reached inside of his jacket to hand Drake his gun.

The next few seconds seemed to go by in slow motion, time almost standing still as Sam turned her head to see Cassie curled up on the floor with her head on her knees, the man above her with his hand in his jacket. Drake's palm was hovering in front of Sam's face, and she felt strong hands gripping her arms, holding her still. The man beside her pulled his pistol out and placed it in Drake's palm, and then time caught up with itself and a million things seemed to happen at once.

There was a loud crash from behind them, and Sam recognized it as the sound of a door being kicked in. She was shoved to the ground as gunfire exploded from all around her, and Cassie began screaming again, holding her bound hands over her head. There was a lot of shouting, and Sam could pick out a few voices that she was overjoyed to hear, namely Teal'c, Daniel, and...

_Was that Jonas?_

She raised her head and looked over her shoulder, but before she could get a clear view, she was yanked up by her hair, yelling out as Drake held her in front of him and pressed his pistol to the side of her neck.

_This feels familiar._

Sam heard Daniel's voice yell out her name from behind her, and the gunfire ceased. She wondered briefly what had happened to the other two men in the room, but she was a little more concerned with the one who was dragging her swiftly towards the exit.

_Oh, no you don't. Not again._

Drake was staring at those behind her as he stepped backwards, and his eyes were filled with fury and desperation. Sam knew she had to be careful, and she moved slowly, allowing him to pull her to the door.

"Sam!" Daniel called out again.

She did her best to signal behind her with her restrained hands, and the room was eerily silent. Drake reached the door and opened the knob with his free hand, still holding the gun against Sam's skin with the other. Slowly, he pulled open the door and dragged her through it, shutting it behind them with a loud clang.

_Just you and me, pal._

The moment the door slammed shut, Sam kneed Drake in the groin and slammed her forehead into his, the gun going off next to her ear and the bullet hitting the wall behind her with a thunk. She saw stars for a moment as she heard him cry out, and he started to sink down towards the floor. As he fell, she thrust her knee up into his chin, and she yelled out as he yanked her sideways by her foot, her bound hands throwing her off-balance and sending her tumbling to the floor. Her skull slammed into the concrete, and she moaned loudly, but seeing the gun spinning slowly on the ground between them, she ignored her pounding head and pulled herself up to her knees, diving for the weapon. Her hands grasped it the same moment as Drake, and they rolled on the floor, each struggling to pry the other's fingers from the gun. Drake kicked out with his heavy boots, shoving Sam over on her back and holding her down with his knees. She felt her fingers beginning to slip, and Drake was grinning down at her with his repulsively white teeth, slowly turning the gun towards Sam…

A single shot rang out from behind them, and Drake's mouth twisted in surprise, his eyes glazing over as his grip on the gun loosened and his body slumped over on top of Sam. She cried out and shoved him off of her, crawling out from underneath him and raising her head to see General O'Neill stepping out from where he was leaning around the corner of the hallway, his gun still pointed at the man lying on the floor with a bullet lodged in the back of his head.

"Jack!"

He lowered his pistol and crossed the hallway in three long strides, pulling Sam to her feet and wrapping his arms tightly around her. She laughed into his neck, her arms pinned between them and finding herself completely unable to move.

"Oh, God, I'm so glad to see you, sir. I thought-"

"Carter," he said roughly, leaning back to grip both of her shoulders. His eyes were shining, and his hands trembled slightly. "If you ever, _ever_ do anything like this to me again…"

"Sam!"

Cassie's voice could be heard on the other side of the door behind them, and Sam reluctantly left Jack's embrace to open it, laughing as Cassie came flying into the room and threw her arms around Sam's neck. As soon as she saw Jack, she released Sam and hugged him tightly, tears streaming down her face.

"Jack! You saved us! I knew you would!"

Daniel stepped through the doorway and hugged Sam briefly, then leaned back and held up a small knife.

"Bet you're ready to get out of these," he said with a smile, cutting through her restraints with a quick flick of his wrist. Sam grinned widely and peeked through the open door.

"Jonas?" she called out, laughing when her old friend followed Teal'c into the hallway. She gave them both a quick hug and rubbed at her sore wrists. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Jonas looked over her shoulder at Jack and grinned. "It's kind of a funny story, actually."

Cassie went dashing around the room, giving out hugs to everyone, and Sam found her way back into Jack's arms, closing her eyes and burying her face in his neck. His heart was still pounding, and he ran his fingers into her tangled hair, holding her tightly against him. Sam felt him take several deep breaths, and he whispered quietly into her ear.

"I thought I lost you."

She leaned back and brushed her lips gently over his, giving him a bright smile.

"Never."

Before Jack could respond, Cassie interrupted their quiet moment with a pleading voice as she stared down at the body on the floor.

"Can we get out of here, Jack?"

Colonel Reynolds appeared around the corner, and Jack released Sam quickly, ignoring the strange looks he was getting from Jonas.

"General, we've rounded up six guys so far, and they're taking nine more out in body bags. What've you got?"

Jack nodded to Drake's body.

"Three of those. But hey, we got Carter and Cassie."

Reynolds nodded to Sam. "Good to see you alive, Colonel."

She smiled and nodded back, suddenly feeling exhausted. Jack motioned for them all to head out, and he stayed behind to give some final instructions to Reynolds. Cassie hugged Teal'c's arm as she walked, leaning her head against his sleeve.

"I just knew you guys would find us. Never doubted it for a second."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow and glanced over at Sam, who was holding her throbbing head and trying to walk straight. She caught Teal'c's look and smiled.

"Me either. Not for a second."

Daniel rolled his eyes as he walked beside her. "Right."

Stepping outside, Sam blinked at the light, surprised to see that it was nearly dusk. There were soldiers running to and fro around the building, and Sam watched as a group of men were being shoved into the back of a large truck. Cassie elbowed her and grinned.

"Jack sure brought the cavalry, didn't he?"

"Yes, _we_ did," Daniel remarked with a frown, leading the group out of the way as Cassie laughed. They stood off to the side to wait for Jack, and Sam stretched her arms behind her head.

"Actually," she said teasingly, "I was expecting you guys a lot sooner. We were starting to think you got lost, huh Cassie?"

She winked at her young friend, and Cassie giggled.

"Well," Daniel said with a smile. "In our defense, we had a bit of a hard time getting permission to use the Asgard sensors on the _Daedalus_. Something about them not being designed for search and rescue." Sam raised her eyebrows at this, and Daniel grinned wider. "Jack set them straight."

"I bet he did," she said with a laugh. Her headache was fading, and Sam felt more sleepy than anything else, her eyelids growing heavy as she leaned against the wall. Jack stepped out the door and spotted his friends, hurrying over as he talked into his cell phone.

"Yeah, they're both fine. We'll bring them in to get checked out." He gestured to Teal'c to bring the car around, and put an arm around Cassie. "No, I don't think so. Carter?" He covered the mouthpiece and looked over at Sam. "Do you need a hospital?" When she shook her head, he returned to his call. "No, Hank, we'll just…wait till morning?" He asked the words with his eyes on Sam, but she shook her head so violently that he smiled to himself. "No, we'll head straight there. No, we don't want to wait till tomorrow." He flashed a grin at Sam as he spoke his next words. "We've got a fishing trip to get back to. Yeah, that's right. See you in a few hours. Bye."

Jack hung up the phone and slipped it back into his pocket as Teal'c pulled up in his SUV, and the group piled in, Cassie taking the front seat, and Sam and Jack crawling into the very back. Jack pulled off his jacket and bunched it up, pushing it against the window and laying his head on it. Sam could identify with how tired he was, and she wondered just how much sleep he'd gotten the past two days. There were plenty of things she wanted to ask him and the others, but she yawned loudly, buckling her seatbelt before leaning down to lay her head on his lap. He lazily combed his fingers through her hair as Teal'c pulled out of the parking lot, Cassie chattering loudly to Daniel and Jonas. Within minutes, they were both fast asleep.


	17. Chapter 17

**Wow, thanks for all the sweet reviews last chapter. I'm so glad you enjoyed the action. Now, all that's left is to get to the dang wedding already, as Tel Nok Shock insisted.  
**

**Well, we're almost there. Hang on just a little longer...and please let me know in your reviews if there's anything in particular you'd like to see in the wedding. I'd be happy to incorporate as many of your ideas as I can. Thanks!**

**I love you guys!**

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Sam slept during the entire ride to the airport, her head resting in Jack's lap and her feet curled up in the seat. Her mind finally allowed her to relax, and she felt like she could sleep straight through till Monday. Once they boarded the plane, she drifted off almost immediately, not waking until they reached Colorado, and she hardly even remembered the trip into Cheyenne Mountain. Soon afterwards, she found herself nodding during most of the meeting with General Landry, and she even dozed off during her examination in the infirmary. It wasn't until she finally got a cup of coffee in her hands, as she and her friends huddled around a table in the mess hall, that she finally started to perk up.

The group of five sat quietly waiting for the doctor to finish with Cassie, each of them lost in their own thoughts. After going over the events of the last two days thoroughly with General Landry, none of them had any desire to talk about it anymore, especially Sam. She was ready to put the entire mess behind her, and she leaned her head on Jack's shoulder, too tired to care about the security camera blinking in the corner. Jack rested his cheek on the top of her head, and Jonas smiled a little, watching them with interest.

"So," he said in a low voice, leaning forward over the table and eying the camera above them. "Are you two…well, you know…" He trailed off, and Jack sat blinking at him from across the table.

"What?"

Jonas looked to Daniel and Teal'c for help, but Daniel just sipped his coffee loudly, and Teal'c stared straight back over the pile of empty dishes in front of him, wearing his usual stoic expression. Looking immensely confused, Jonas shifted his gaze around the table before finally giving up.

"Never mind."

Sam smiled and raised her head, giving Jack a questioning look. He shrugged and stabbed his fork into his slice of chocolate cake, the metal squeaking against his plate.

"Jonas," Sam said carefully. "You don't have to get back to Langara right away, do you?"

He grinned curiously. "Not really, why?"

She shared a look with the others before replying, "I just thought you might like to come fishing with us."

Surprised, Jonas eyed Jack hesitantly. "You want _me_ to come?"

Jack poked at his cake and frowned. "Jonas, if you hadn't been here to figure out what you did when you did, Carter and Cassie would have been toast."

Jonas still looked skeptical, so after a pause, Jack added, "I want you to come, okay?"

A grin spread wide across Jonas' face, and he slapped his hand hard across Daniel's back.

"Alright! Fishing!"

"Ow," Daniel grumbled, scooting his chair away from the enthusiastic man beside him. "Don't get too excited. It won't be quite what you think."

Sam took a sip of her coffee and sighed, enjoying its warmth down her throat. They all sat quietly for a few minutes more, until Daniel broke the silence.

"Have you heard if any of the men they arrested are talking?" he asked Jack, watching his friend licking the last bits of icing from his fork. "Did they say who they were working for?"

Jack shrugged and pulled at the bottom of his fork, watching it vibrate with a twang when he let go. "Not last I heard."

He didn't elaborate, and Teal'c linked his fingers together, laying his hands on the table.

"I am inclined to believe that we will, once again, have dealings with their organization, and perhaps then we will learn the identity of the Goa'uld whom they are serving."

Sam sighed and rested her chin in her hand. "I know one thing. Next time I catch anyone spying on me from street corners or following me around in creepy vehicles, I'm actually going to tell somebody."

Daniel looked offended. "You told _me_."

He realized his slip-up the second the words were out, and he winced as Jack's fork hit his plate with a loud clang, bouncing onto the table and rolling in front of Sam.

"You did _what_?"

Sam frowned and kicked at Daniel under the table. "Please don't be mad, sir. I knew that you-"

Ignoring Sam, Jack continued to stare harshly at Daniel, practically yelling as he interrupted her apology.

"You knew that these guys were after Carter, and you didn't _tell_ me?"

Jonas looked uncomfortable, and he gathered up the dishes on the table and left hastily. Teal'c stayed put, looking rather interested in the drama unfolding before him.

"It's not like that, Jack. We didn't know what was going on," Daniel said defensively. "I was going to talk to you about it this weekend. She just didn't want-"

"I don't care _what_ she wanted!" Jack shouted.

Sam waved her hand in front of him. "Jack!"

He turned and glared down at her, and she chewed her bottom lip nervously.

"If you're going to be mad, be mad at me. I asked him not to tell you, and I think I was punished enough for it. Please, can we just forget about it?"

She laid a hand on his arm, and Jack took a deep breath, the anger fading from his eyes as he exhaled. He gave Daniel an apologetic look, and his friend let out a quiet sigh of relief as Jonas wandered back over to the table, sliding into his chair with an uneasy glance at the others. They all grew quiet again, and Jack reached underneath the table to take Sam's hand, gently massaging her palm with his thumb. She smiled to herself, knowing she was forgiven.

"Hey guys."

Cassie's voice sounded almost ragged, and she stepped into the room and plopped down in a chair next to Jonas, obviously exhausted. Jack slid a slice of cake in front of her, but she shook her head.

"No, thanks. I just want to go to sleep. Do we have to go back to your cabin tonight?"

Her look was practically pleading, and Jack sighed loudly.

"No, I guess not. We can head back in the morning."

It was obvious by the expressions on the faces of the rest of the group that he and Sam were the only ones unhappy with this arrangement.

"We can catch an early flight," he mumbled to Sam, looking apologetically down at her. She just shrugged her shoulders and tried to hide her disappointment. The last thing she wanted to do was spend another night sleeping alone, especially after everything that had happened, but she tried to tell herself that she could hold out for one more day.

"It's fine," she whispered up to him, giving his hand one last squeeze before she rose from the table. Cassie stood and wrapped an arm around Sam's middle, leaning her head against her shoulder.

"Do you mind?"

_Yes._

"No, it's not a big deal," she assured her friend with a smile. The group stepped through the doorway and headed down the hall together, and Sam yawned drowsily, stretching her arms over her head.

"At least this way, I can actually get some sleep."

Cassie laughed out loud, and Sam felt her cheeks burn when she spotted Jack's amused expression.

"Okay…that didn't come out right."


	18. Chapter 18

**Sorry this chapter is up so late! I probably should have just waited till tomorrow and written a longer one, but I just hate leaving you guys hanging. Please review!**

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"Oh my gosh, please tell me we're almost there."

Cassie groaned and leaned over the back of Sam's seat, straining to read the faded green sign they passed on their right. Jack shook his head at her impatience and turned the small rental car off of the main road, sounding somewhat annoyed when he spoke.

"Can you please just sit still?"

Cassie frowned and sat back in her seat, and Sam turned around to smile understandingly at her.

"We're almost there. Just a few more minutes."

She could identify with Cassie's frustration. They'd run into morning traffic on their way to the airport, drove around for twenty minutes trying to find a parking space, and their flight was delayed for almost an hour. All of this left Jack in a bit of a sour mood and Cassie more restless than usual. Thankfully, it was a short flight, and everything had gone smoothly once they landed. Sam was grateful that they'd at least gotten plenty of rest the night before, and she was now very awake and anxious to get to the cabin to see what the guys were up to.

Sam had only meant to sleep for a few hours at the base, planning to get up extremely early to start for Minnesota. Somehow she managed to sleep until almost ten, slightly annoyed that no one had bothered to wake her. She expected to find her group of friends also still resting in their quarters, but instead, she found Jack and Cassie both awake and waiting on her in the mess hall. To her surprise, they informed her that everyone else had already left, Jack simply stating that the other three had gone on ahead to the airport. Sam had a pretty good idea of what they were up to, but she decided to let herself be surprised and asked nothing more about it.

"What time is the ceremony supposed to start?" Cassie asked nervously from the backseat. Sam glanced over at Jack, but he just shrugged.

"I don't know," she answered finally. "Obviously, our plans have changed a little."

"Ha…what plans?" Cassie scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest as she sulked.

Sam laughed at this and stretched out her legs over the floorboard, feeling just as eager as the girl behind her to reach their destination.

"Cassie," Jack spoke up, glancing at her in his rear-view mirror. "You do realize this is _our_ wedding, right?"

He got a small pink tongue stuck out at him in response.

"I mean, if I wanted to wear my cap and sneakers and serve steak and beer-"

"Oh, Jack, you wouldn't!" Cassie cried out, obviously mortified. Sam laughed quietly from the front seat and leaned over to plant a kiss on Jack's scruffy cheek.

"Don't worry, Cassie," she reassured her friend cheerily, watching Jack try to hide a smile. "I saw his dress uniform hanging in the closet. I think we're safe."

The car slowed as they approached the cabin, and Sam felt a knot forming in her stomach when Jack pulled into the driveway. She did her best to ignore it as she climbed out of the car, stretching her arms behind her before she walked around to Jack's side and reached up to link her fingers behind his neck.

"Hey there," he said playfully, pushing her up against the car to give her a thorough kiss. She hadn't realized how much she missed his warmth, and she stretched up on her toes to fit closer against his chest. His taste was sweet and familiar, and she felt herself melting into his embrace. It didn't take long for her to forget where she was, letting out a moan as he slid his hands around her waist and tugged her hips against him.

"Eew. Gross, guys. Save all that for after, huh?"

Sam blushed and pulled back as Cassie gave Jack a light shove and then jogged around to the other side of the cabin, immediately squealing and running back before Sam could wrap herself up in Jack's arms again.

"Come here! You guys have _got_ to see this!"

Jack's mood seemed to have improved drastically, and he laughed at the way their young friend bounced up and down on her heels. Sam took his hand in hers, and they started to follow Cassie around the cabin.

"Oh, no you don't!" Daniel's voice rang out, and Sam turned to see him walking around the far side of the building, his arms loaded down with Christmas lights. One of the strands was dragging behind him in the grass, and his right hand appeared to be rather tangled up in the rest. "We're not done yet. No peeking."

"Daniel," she laughed. "I thought you didn't want to mess with decorations."

He sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I was outvoted. Teal'c was all excited about getting to use his new nail gun, and there was just no stopping Jonas, once he found out what we were really doing up here."

_Nail gun? Oh boy..._

Right on cue, Jonas stepped into view, backing slowly around the corner of the cabin. He was holding his hands in the shape of a square and scrutinizing something out of Sam's line of sight.

"A little higher, Teal'c," he called out. "Almost…just a little more…perfect."

He dropped his hands, surprised to see his friends beside him.

"General O'Neill," he said nervously, glancing over at Sam. "We didn't expect you here so soon."

"Relax, Jonas," Jack responded, slipping an arm around Sam's waist and dragging her towards the cabin. "You guys just take your time."

"Actually…"

Jonas cringed at the glare that Jack gave him, and he looked to Daniel for help.

"Jack, we could use a hand," Daniel said, clearly unconcerned with his friend's annoyed expression. He tugged at his arm, trying to untangle it from the mass of cords in his hands. "These guys haven't got a clue how to put up Christmas lights."

Jack's loud sigh blew a strand of hair across Sam's forehead.

"Oh, for crying out loud…"


	19. Chapter 19

**Well, guys, I have to make a correction from last chapter. Apparently, a flight from Colorado to Minnesota would never take nine hours (Thanks to Hedwiggins for pointing this out to me). Oops. I went back and fixed the last chapter so that the timeline will still make sense with a shorter flight. Sorry about that! You can probably tell I don't do a lot of traveling.**

**I had so much fun looking at wedding dresses while writing this chapter. :)**

**I live for your reviews! Thank you thank you!**

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

There was still so much to be done, and even though she was strictly ordered to stay in the house, Sam didn't have time to be bored as she raced around the cabin, trying to help get everything ready. The guys had been so focused on the backyard, they hadn't bothered with cleaning up the inside of the cabin, which was in desperate need of attention. Cassie was happy to help, and between the two of them, they managed to get it sparkling and free of fishing equipment in just a short time. Once that was done, they decided to make a quick run into town to pick up a few things, though this time, Jack insisted that Teal'c go along. He was less than thrilled to be wandering up and down aisles in the grocery store, but Sam was glad he was there. Knowing he was in a hurry to get back kept Cassie from spending too much time in the store.

On their way back, Sam was pleasantly surprised when they stopped at a small bakery in town to pick up a wedding cake that had been ordered in advance. Cassie would give no hints as to whose idea it had been, but Sam put her money on Daniel. Teal'c held the box in his lap, not allowing Sam so much as a peek inside.

Arriving back at the cabin, Cassie all but locked Sam up in the bedroom, not taking any chances of her getting a glimpse of the cake. Sam tried to read a book, but soon grew restless. She sat watching the beam of light through Jack's window as it stretched out across the floor, occasionally peeking out the bedroom door to see what was going on. She was especially glad when she spotted General Hammond and Bra'tac, who arrived together, much to everyone's surprise. She talked with Hammond a while, and then slipped back into the bedroom and tried to relax. The longer she sat alone, the more nervous she began to feel. She slipped Jack's ring on her finger, and then pulled it off again, wandering around the room and thinking. She recalled the single brief night she had spent with Jack, trying to remember what had been said. There were so many little things he had whispered in the dark that night, but she couldn't recall anything specific. How many times had they been able to talk privately after that night? Four, maybe five? By the time she heard the noises of construction cease outside, Sam was practically in a state of panic.

_Oh, my god. What am I doing?_

There was a quiet knock at the door, and Daniel peeked his head in. Seeing Sam pacing around the room and still in her blue jeans, he blinked in confusion and slipped inside.

"Uh…Sam?"

"Daniel, I can't do this!" she said anxiously, her words coming out in a flurry as she walked the length of the room. "This is crazy. What was I thinking? I can't marry the General! We've never even been on a single date! We've hardly spent any time together outside of work, and the only time we even slept together was-"

"Okay," Daniel interrupted with a grimace. "I didn't need to know that."

Sam blushed and stopped pacing, plopping down onto the bed. "Sorry. I just…I'm scared, Daniel. What if he changes his mind? What if I change _my_ mind?"

Daniel crossed the room and reached over to squeeze her shoulders, and Sam realized with some annoyance that he was trying not to laugh.

"Daniel, I'm serious."

He nodded and stepped back, still smiling.

"I know. Just…hang on. Stay put."

"Don't leave me!" she begged, but Daniel cracked open the door and slipped through it.

"I'll be back," he promised. "Why don't you work on getting that dress on?"

Sam looked down at the gown lying out on the bed next to her and tried to still her trembling hands.

_Get ahold of yourself, Sam._

She stripped down and pulled on the pretty underthings that Cassie had given her, trying not to think about how her young friend had learned to shop for lingerie. Next, she pulled the lacy white slip over her head and tugged it down over her thighs, checking her reflection in the floor-length mirror and smoothing the fabric beneath her fingers. She was pleased with how feminine she looked, and admired her curves in the mirror. She couldn't help but smile when she realized that she liked the slip more than what she wore beneath it, and she ran one finger over the low-cut lace neckline, thinking what a shame it was that her gown would hide the sexiest part of her outfit.

The door popped open suddenly, and Sam squeaked, holding her arms across her chest as she whirled around. Jack stepped into the room and shut the door, grinning at the sight before him as it clicked closed.

"Is that what you're wearing?" he teased, walking slowly up to her and sliding his hands around her waist. "I'll be honest, it's a great look."

Sam laughed nervously and stepped back, still trying to cover up.

"You're not supposed to be in here," she protested. "You'll be in trouble if Cassie catches you."

Jack shrugged and stuck his hands in his pockets. "Daniel said you needed help with something."

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Really? I don't know what…oh."

Realizing what he must have meant, she silently thanked Daniel and smiled shyly at Jack.

"I guess I was getting a little jittery, you know, just nervous about all of this."

Jack nodded understandingly and pulled her back to him. "Yeah…I know."

"You're not nervous, are you?" Sam asked, jealous of how calm he appeared to be.

"Nah," he answered, letting his hands roam over the silky fabric. "It'll be fun. And just wait till you see what the guys have done to my backyard. You're gonna love it." He brushed his lips across hers slowly, stepping a bit closer. "There's going to be cake," he said enticingly, running his hands down the length of her arms. He pulled one of her hands up to press his lips to her palm, trailing kisses down her wrist and forearm until Sam closed her eyes and sighed. "And punch," he added, and he leaned over to kiss the side of her neck, nibbling gently on her warm skin. "Which I will spike."

Sam's knees almost buckled beneath her when she felt Jack's hand run down to the edge of the fabric brushing against her thigh, sliding his fingers over her skin underneath the silky cloth. As his hand slipped a little higher, Sam suddenly became self-conscious, and she stepped back, her cheeks burning. Jack had a mischievous grin on his face as he reached around her to pull his uniform out of the closet. Giving her a few seconds to calm down, he brushed the coat off slowly and spoke in a calm voice.

"So, you coming to this shindig? I'll save you a dance."

Sam nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, I'll be there, sir."

He stood staring at her for a few moments, his eyes roaming over the parts of her that he never got to see. Sam tried to remind herself that she was about to be the man's wife, and there was no reason to be embarrassed, but she couldn't help it. Resisting the urge to duck behind the bed, she pointed to the bedroom door and tried to will the color to fade from her cheeks.

"Now, get out of here before I call Cassie."

Jack held up his hands in resignation and walked out of the room, running into Jonas as he started out the door. Sam laughed when she saw Jack cover his friend's eyes, pulling the door closed behind him and leaving her alone again.

_Daniel, you're a genius._

All she had to do was look into Jack's eyes to be reminded of how much she loved him, how desperately she wanted to be his. She let out a happy sigh and lifted her gown off the bed.

Sam managed to get the dress over her head, but she had to call Cassie to come zip her up. While she waited, she admired her gown in the mirror. The chiffon fabric fit snugly over her body, and it tightened just enough in the middle to accentuate her thin waist, the bottom of the dress loosely hanging down to the middle of her calves. The neckline scooped down slightly, and two small spaghetti straps wrapped over her shoulders, crossing over her back. The bottom half of the dress was embroidered with small, glass beads forming delicate strings of flowers. Sam twisted her waist back and forth and watched the gown spin around her, stilling the fabric when she heard the door creak open behind her.

Cassie looked disapprovingly at Sam when she entered the room.

"What are you going to do with your hair?" she asked suspiciously.

Sam glanced in the mirror and admitted that she hadn't given it much thought.

"Of course you haven't," her friend sighed, pulling up the zipper of Sam's dress and straightening the thin straps. "Well, luckily for you, I've been practicing on my friends all month."

_Oh no._

Sam winced as Cassie pulled her fingers roughly through her short hair, catching on a mess of tangles and frowning. There was a light knock on the door, and Sam stepped out of Cassie's grip to open it, grateful for the interruption.

"Hey," Daniel greeted her. "I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

Sam smiled at him and leaned against the doorframe.

"Much better, thank you."

He peeked into the room at Cassie. "Better go get dressed," he called out to her. "Jack's ready to get started."

Sam took a deep breath, replaying Jack's smile and his gentle kisses in her mind to keep calm.

"In a minute," Cassie answered. "Sam needs me."

Daniel eyed Sam for a moment, and then stepped into the room, giving a protesting Cassie a push out the door.

"I'll take care of Sam. You go get dressed."

"But, her hair-"

Daniel shut the door behind her before she could finish her objection, and Sam sat down on the bed, relieved.

"Thanks. Who knows what she was about to do to me." She tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace, and she laid a hand over her churning stomach. "I don't know why I'm so nervous. I want to marry Jack. I really do."

Taking a seat beside her, Daniel folded his hands in his lap and looked thoughtful.

"I remember when Sha're and I first got married, she was so shy." He smiled at the memory. "And a little insecure, too. It seemed like no matter how many times I told her I loved her, she always needed to hear it again." He turned to face Sam, taking her hand in his. "Sam, you're the toughest, most brilliant, confident, and capable woman I've ever known." She looked away, embarrassed by his praise, and he continued. "But, I think sometimes you forget that underneath all of that, you're still a woman." Sam frowned, and Daniel hurried to clarify. "I just mean you shouldn't worry about being nervous. It's natural. It's a scary thing to belong to somebody else. Just try to remember, Jack is head over heels, over the moon for you, Sam. He's wanted this for so long, there is no possible way he's going to change his mind. Trust me, there is nobody in this universe who could ever love you more than he does."

Sam felt a lump in her throat as he spoke the words, trying to keep back the tears that threatened to fall.

"I know," she whispered, squeezing his hand warmly.

"Well, good." He rose and crossed the room, picking up Sam's hairbrush from where it sat on top of her suitcase, and laying her veil out across the bed. "Now, let's see if we can do this without having to call Cassie back…"


	20. Chapter 20

**I guess I should throw out a warning that the rest of this story will be extremely fluffy, just in case there's somebody out there who's expecting some more action. Action's over. BRING ON THE FLUFF!**

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The sun was just beginning to sink low in the sky, casting long shadows across the ground as Sam stepped out of the front door of Jack's cabin. She held General Hammond's arm as they stepped off of the porch and around the building, stopping to gasp at the sight before her.

The guys had really outdone themselves. Sam had been expecting some lights hung around the roof, and maybe an arch put together over the dock. Instead, she was astonished to see that they had completely transformed the outside of the cabin to resemble something straight out of a wedding magazine. Daniel's Christmas lights wound around the railing of the back patio, giving off a soft blue glow for the two round tables on the deck. Both had silky, white tablecloths draped over them and a thin glass vase in the center, containing a single pink rose. The edge of the pond had been lined with tall, wooden poles, and more strings of lights were hung between them, the reflection of their bright sparkle bordering the water's edge. Two of the poles stood on either side of the small dock, connected together by a simple, wooden arch. More pink roses were woven into its white lattice, hanging loosely over the heads of the groom and his two best men. Jack was leaning against the short railing that had been put up around the edge of the dock, batting at the flowers above him as he waited for his bride to appear. He stopped when he saw her round the corner of the cabin, standing up straight and brushing off his sleeves. Teal'c stood solemnly on his left, and Daniel on his right, both dressed in matching black suits. Cassie held a small bouquet of roses, standing just to the left of the arch. She was arm-in-arm with Jonas, who was grinning ecstatically. Sam stood in awe for a moment, admiring her friends' hard work before she nodded to Hammond and continued towards the others.

There were a dozen or so chairs set up on the grass, and Sam was pleasantly surprised to see them all filled. She hadn't expected more than four or five guests outside of the wedding party, especially since the wedding had been kept so secret. Everyone rose as she approached, and she walked down the grassy aisle between them, smiling at the familiar faces. These were the people who she thought of as her family, those she trusted with her life, and she couldn't be happier that they were there to share this special day with her. She smiled brightly as she leaned on Hammond's arm, her eyes settling on Jack, who was watching her step towards him with a sideways grin. General Hammond stopped to hand her over to him, shaking Jack's hand and giving Sam a quick kiss on the cheek before he took his seat next to Sergeant Walter Harriman.

Sam stepped out onto the dock with Jack, looking around in confusion.

"Jack," she whispered, "Who's going to marry us?"

Jack raised his eyebrows at his friend beside him.

"Yes, Daniel," he said with a hint of irritation. "Who _is_ going to marry us?"

Daniel looked annoyed, and he glanced up towards the sky, Jack following his line of sight with a confused frown. "I told you, he'll be here. Just-"

He was cut off by a bright flash of light, and Sam stepped back in surprise as several of the guests gasped loudly.

"Thor!" Jack said cheerily. "Buddy!"

Daniel gave Jack a smug grin as Thor walked slowly onto the dock.

"Told you so."

Ignoring Daniel, Jack leaned over and reached out his hand to the short, grey alien in front of him.

"O'Neill," Thor said softly, blinking his large, black eyes. "I am most pleased to see you."

"Likewise," he replied, standing up straight again. "What are you doing here?"

Thor gestured to Daniel and stepped gracefully around them to face the guests.

"I was invited by Daniel Jackson and General Hammond to have the honor of officiating this very important ceremony."

Jack stared blankly at Sam for a moment, and then glanced over at Daniel.

"Uh…is that legal?"

Daniel rolled his eyes, and Sam couldn't help grinning.

"Yes, Jack. Will you relax? We took care of it."

Shrugging his shoulders, Jack flashed a grin at the guests and took Sam's hand back in his. "Sweet. Let's get on with it, then."

Thor spoke slowly and quietly, his gentle voice echoing off of the water around them.

"Welcome, friends of General O'Neill and Colonel Carter. We have gathered in this place to observe the union of these two individuals, who wish to join their lives together in matrimony." He paused and shifted his gaze to the couple in front of him. "The Asgard have no experience with such a bond, and I find myself unqualified to give advice to you in this matter. However, I have many times observed the compassion, loyalty, and self-sacrifice that you have displayed throughout the years toward each other, and I have seen the emotional bond between the two of you reflected in your actions." Sam smiled affectionately up at Jack, and he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I have little doubt that such a union is only fitting under such circumstances, and that you will continue to display such qualities toward one another throughout the course of your lives." Thor nodded to Daniel, who stepped forward and held up a small sheet of paper. He cleared his throat and smiled at his friends.

"I just wanted to read a little something. It's a quote from a poem by Khalil Gibran, and I thought it would be appropriate." He paused, and Sam gave him a nod of approval. Speaking loudly, he read the scribbled words on the page.

"_Love gives naught but itself _  
_and takes naught but from itself. _  
_Love possesses not nor would it be possessed; _  
_for love is sufficient unto love."_

Jack looked a little confused by the words, but Sam was proud to see that he smiled anyway.

"That was beautiful, Daniel," she said warmly. "Thank you."

Daniel nodded, folding the piece of paper and slipping it into his pocket as Thor continued.

"I believe you must each now repeat a pledge of devotion for one another."

Jack smiled. "Exchange vows, Thor. We exchange vows."

Thor nodded and blinked slowly. "Very well. You may exchange vows. O'Neill, repeat after me."

Jack repeated his vows one line at a time, smiling down at Sam as he spoke.

"I, Jonathan O'Neill, take you, Samantha Carter, to be my lawfully wedded wife."

_Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry._

"To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer…"

_Stop crying, stop crying, stop crying._

"…in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward until death do us part."

Jack seemed relieved to be finished, and Sam tried to stop sniffling, wiping her eyes and trying to remember if her mascara was waterproof. Thor leaned up to her and lowered his voice.

"Colonel Carter, are you able to continue?"

She laughed through her tears and blinked her eyes, fanning them with her hand. "Yes, yes. Sorry. Just give me a second."

Jonas stepped over and held out a handkerchief, looking proud that he was prepared, and she smiled appreciatively at him. She mumbled an apology to Jack, who looked more amused than anything, and nodded to Thor.

"Okay, we can keep going."

Sam managed to get through her vows, only choking up at the very end, and Jack's reassuring smile kept her held together. Thor nodded his head to Teal'c.

"I believe this is the time for rings to be exchanged."

Teal'c placed the two silver bands in Jack's hand, and he dropped his in Sam's palm. They slipped each on the other's finger, repeating the traditional words as Thor watched curiously. He blinked a few times and stood up straight when they were finished.

"By the power that has been entrusted to me by The President of the United States of America, I now pronounce that you are husband and wife." He nodded to Jack. "You have permission to kiss the bride."

Jack laughed out loud and swept Sam up in his arms, pressing his lips to hers as their friends applauded around them. He leaned back and grinned down at Thor, who stepped forward and gestured to the couple.

"I now present Mr. and Mrs. Jack O'Neill."


	21. Chapter 21

**Oh, come on guys. Did you really think I was going to leave you hanging with the last chapter as my ending? I forced myself to write this entire story so that I could write this wedding the way I wanted. There is no way I'm not putting in every single detail. Ha ha...  
**

**Still time to put in requests. Pretty pretty please review for me? Thank you!**

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

_Mrs. Jack O'Neill_

_Sam Carter O'Neill_

_Mrs. Samantha Carter O'Neill_

Sam scribbled her name on the white paper napkin sitting next to her plate as she and the rest of the wedding party waited for Jonas to bring out their cake. Jack leaned over and smiled at her doodles.

"You're not actually going to do that, are you?"

"What?" she asked. "Change my name? No, I can't, really." She sighed happily and laid her head on his shoulder. "Maybe someday."

She and Jack shared one of the small, round tables with Daniel, Teal'c, and Cassie, and the rest of their friends crowded around the other table or leaned up against the patio railing. Sam and Cassie had put together a large platter of sandwiches that afternoon, and most of the guests had stepped inside to eat, leaving those around the small tables to talk amongst themselves as the sun sank down behind the trees. A few of their friends had to leave in a hurry, including Major Davis, who congratulated the couple with his typically professional demeanor, asking to be excused to get back to the Pentagon. Jack shook his hand warmly, and Sam did the same, not quite feeling comfortable enough to give him a hug.

Thor also begged his leave, despite Jack's trying to talk him into sticking around. The small alien insisted that he had other important matters that required his attention, and after a few parting words, he vanished in a flash of light.

The next half hour went by with Sam in a bit of a daze, but her nervousness had dissipated, and she found herself extremely hungry, polishing off several finger sandwiches and a plateful of fruit. Jack carried on a merry conversation with his friends, his chair pushed up close to Sam's so that he could keep on arm around her waist. Slowly, the remaining guests had wandered back outside, enjoying the evening air and watching the sunset.

"Teal'c," Jack said impatiently. "Go see what's taking so long. I'm starving."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow at Jack's empty plastic plate.

"There was sustenance provided, O'Neill."

Jack just flashed a childish grin.

"Yes. It's called cake."

The back door popped open, and Jonas came backing out onto the patio, followed by Cassie, the two of them balancing the wedding cake carefully on a plain, clear tray. There were several ooh's and ah's, and Sam wondered how much money the guys had to shell out to get their hands on something so beautiful in such a hurry. It wasn't especially fancy, but it had three tiers, with dozens of pink icing roses cascading over the sides. It was simple, but stunning, and she smiled brightly at her friends as she and Jack rose from the table.

Jonas had somehow gotten his hands on Daniel's camera, and he snapped several pictures as the couple cut the cake, insisting that they would need a "visual record" of the evening. Jack helped himself to a very large slice, digging in before Sam had even returned to her seat. Cassie complained that they were supposed to feed each other the first bite, but Jack's disapproving expression told Sam that he would much rather skip that tradition.

Once everyone had settled around the patio again, Daniel rose and tapped his fork on the glass vase in the center of their table, clearing his throat as the group grew silent.

"Well, Teal'c and I drew straws, and apparently I lost, because I have to give my toast first." He picked up his clear plastic cup and swirled the liquid around inside. "You know, if you would have told me nine years ago that I would be standing up here today as Jack O'Neill's best man…" He paused and laughed, pushing up his glasses and shaking his head. "Well, let's just say I would have found the idea a little farfetched." Jack laid down his fork and put an arm around Sam's shoulders, pulling her against his chest as he watched Daniel with a small smile. His friend looked down into his drink as he spoke. "I've known a lot of great men in my life…men who I've trusted and cared about, men who I'd lay down my life for." He looked up and smiled. "But I don't think I will ever know another man who can measure up to Jack O'Neill." Sam squeezed her arms around Jack's chest, and she felt her eyes moisten a little as Daniel continued. "Of course, Jack and I don't see eye to eye on most things…well, anything really…but that hasn't stopped him from continually standing by me throughout the years, always ready to go the extra mile to get me out of a tough spot. I've honestly never had a more loyal, trustworthy, and, well…true…friend in all my life. " Meeting Jack's eyes, Daniel went on. "Jack, I don't have to tell you what an amazing woman you've got." He gave Sam a meaningful look. "It's hard to imagine that anybody could be good enough for her, but…well…I kind of think that maybe you are."

Jack blinked for a moment, and then he flashed a smile.

"Why, thank you, Daniel."

Daniel nodded, and hurried to wrap up his speech, holding his cup up in front of him. "To Jack and Sam. May today be the beginning of an amazing new chapter in your lives."

"To Jack and Sam!"

The group around them raised their glasses, and Jack hurried to take another few bites of his cake before Teal'c rose solemnly, folding his hands in front of him as he began his speech.

"Among the Jaffa, there is a saying. 'Just as a battle cannot be stopped once it has begun, so too, a man must continue in marriage with his wife.'" Sam choked back a laugh and tried to hide her smile behind her cup. Teal'c raised an eyebrow at her and continued. "You are both familiar with the effort and challenges that accompany the struggle against an enemy. In marriage, you must also exert yourself, not in battle, but in maintaining peace." He smiled warmly at his two friends. "As both of you are trained as warriors, it may perhaps be difficult to surrender your position when differences of opinion arise. However, I am confident that you will acquire the skills needed to preserve the harmony of your union." He picked up his cup and raised it high. "May you love and fight like warriors."

"To Jack and Sam!" Cassie called out again. Taking a long sip of her punch, she leaned over the table on her elbows and sighed. "I was going to give a toast, but I didn't get around to writing it. It was kind of a hectic weekend. You know I love you guys. What else needs to be said?"

Sam laughed and squeezed Jack again, nestling against his chest. He stuck his fork back into his cake, running his hand over Sam's bare back as he took another bite.

"Mmm," he whispered into her hair. "It doesn't get any better than this."

Lifting her head, Sam couldn't help giving him a sly smile.

"Wanna bet?"


	22. Chapter 22

**Just a note: This story is rated T. It's going to stay rated T. If you want an M-rated J/S scene, there are plenty you can find on this site. Just not in this story.**

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The stars shone brightly across the night sky, and there was a cool breeze that blew over the pond, sending small ripples across the water as Jack and Sam danced slowly on the patio. Jonas and Teal'c had cleared the tables and chairs, and Daniel brought out a small boom box from inside. The bride and groom shared a dance, and then traded partners, Jack taking Cassie for a spin as Sam danced with Daniel. Then, she had to have a dance with General Hammond, and after that, a reluctant Teal'c, who didn't really seem to see the point. Finally, Jonas was eager to have his turn, and he picked it up quickly, taking Cassie out on the floor after Jack cut in to get his arms back around Sam.

The night wore on, and one by one, the remaining guests said their goodbyes. Cassie and Jonas cleaned up garbage and decorations, but they left up all the lights at Sam's request. When they were through, the four remaining friends gathered inside, munching on leftover snacks and occasionally taking a peek at their two friends through the glass door. The couple danced alone on the deck, swaying back and forth to the music.

Sam sighed against Jack's chest, her arms stretching up around his neck as he spoke quietly to her.

"I wanted to tell you something."

She raised her head up and smiled. "What's that?"

Jack pulled her a little closer and rested his hands on her waist.

"You remember the whole thing with Anise and the armbands, when we went all nuts and defied orders to go blow up Apophis' ship?"

"Yes," Sam replied, giving him a warm smile. "You wouldn't leave me when I was trapped behind the force shield…I remember." She peered at him curiously. "Why do you ask?"

Looking thoughtful, Jack glanced around them before answering. "When I was standing there, looking at you through that shimmery thing, knowing we were probably about to die…" He paused and chewed hesitantly on his bottom lip. "I told myself that if we made it out alive, I was going to find a way to tell you what you meant to me."

Sam stood up on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his. "You did, remember?"

Jack chuckled a little, shaking his head. "You mean what Anise dragged out of me with that Tok'ra lie detector thing?" He smiled down at her, lifting his hand to twirl his fingers around a strand of her hair. "There was a lot more I should have said." Frowning, he looked away as he continued. "I was never good with words, Carter." He glanced back down at her and added, "It's not an excuse, just a fact."

She tried to object, but he stopped her with a look, stilling them both from their slow swaying.

"I didn't know what to say to you, or if you would even listen. I didn't figure there was any point, and I thought it would just make things awkward for you." Sam ran her fingers through his hair, giving him an understanding nod as he went on. "I'm not sorry that we followed regulations, and I'm not sorry that I never stopped you from trying to be happy…" Sam cringed at the reference to Pete. "…but I am sorry I never told you what you needed to hear."

Jack paused and cupped the side of her face, looking into her eyes with a serious expression.

"I love you, Sam."

There was a long silence as she let the three small words seep into her, filling her heart and washing away every doubt and fear still lodged in her mind. She blinked back tears and nodded slowly, not trusting herself to speak. The CD in Daniel's boom box finished playing, and the two of them stood quietly, listening to the sounds of the night and muffled conversation from their friends inside. Finally, Sam managed to respond.

"Jack," she whispered. "I love you so so much-"

He cut her off with a sharp intake of breath, pulling her to him roughly as he captured her mouth with his. He kissed her long and deep, and Sam sighed into him, running her hands underneath his coat to wrap her arms around his chest. He backed her against the wall of the cabin, pressing his body against hers as he reached down to pull her knee up against his side. Her dress slipped up to the top of her thigh, and Sam tugged Jack's shirt out of his pants, sliding her hands over the warm skin beneath. She felt him shiver as she ran them over his waistline, and he reached down to lift her up, both legs wrapped around his waist. Sam moaned loudly, slipping her hands up around his neck and crossing her ankles behind him. She felt Jack stumble into the back door, and she reached her hand down to turn the knob, returning it to her grip behind his head as he staggered inside. He groaned as she rubbed her body against him, her mouth melting into his and her bare feet sliding up and down the back of his thighs.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

At hearing Daniel's panicked voice, Jack dropped Sam in surprise, and she blushed furiously when she looked up and saw her friends still sitting around the fire. Daniel was holding up his hands defensively and squeezing his eyes shut.

"Jesus, Jack," he mumbled, jumping up to quickly gather his things. "A heads up would have been appreciated."

Cassie wore a huge grin across her face, and she tossed her purse over her shoulder with a giggle, following slowly as her friends hurried out the front door.

"See you tomorrow," she called out as Daniel dragged her out by her wrist. "You guys have fun!"

The door slammed shut and Sam covered her face with her hands, groaning loudly.

"Oh, my God. Poor Daniel."

Jack just shrugged and grinned down at her.

"He'll live." He slid his hands down her back and tugged at her gown. "Now, where were we?"


	23. Chapter 23

**Well, guys, this is it. It's been fun! I'm so glad that so many of you liked these two stories. A huge thanks to everybody who left me such sweet reviews. I really wouldn't have written this sequel without you.**

**Keep an eye out for my next story. It's in the works, but I probably won't start posting chapters for a couple of weeks. Just a hint: It involves a certain couple's daughter and a trip to the past. I hope you guys will like it.**

**Any last comments? Please review if you enjoyed this story. Thank you so much!**

**-Lillie**

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Moonlight streamed in the window of the bedroom in Jack's cabin, illuminating Sam's face as she lay quietly next to him, her head resting on his shoulder and her arm draped over his bare chest. He played distractedly with her fingers and stared up at the ceiling, and Sam watched his face with an affectionate smile. Small beads of sweat gleamed on his forehead, and his expression was calm and thoughtful. She propped herself up on one elbow, the covers on the bed slipping down to her stomach.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly, tugging up the neckline of the silky fabric that clung to her skin.

Jack glanced up at her and grinned. "Are you kidding?"

Blushing a bit, Sam snuggled up close to him, and he draped his arm over her shoulders. She shut her eyes for a moment, reliving the past hour in her mind, trying to recall every touch and sensation, every kiss and every sigh…all the moments that she had been dreaming about for so many years.

Jack's voice interrupted her thoughts, and her eyes blinked back open at the sound.

"I was just thinking," he said quietly, returning his gaze to the ceiling above them. "How much I'd love to have a little girl."

Tensing, Sam raised her head up and opened her eyes wide. "Jack, I hope you're not serious."

He pulled her back against his chest and sighed. "I don't know. I guess not."

Unsure of what to say, Sam lay silently in his arms, winding her fingers through his. When he didn't speak, she finally lifted her head and smiled at him.

"I think I'd like a boy."

"Really?" Jack raised his eyebrows and shifted against the pillows, sitting up and pulling her up next to him. "I kind of like the idea of you trying to teach a little girl how to braid her doll's hair and paint the dog's toenails."

Sam laughed at this, and she shook her head vigorously. "Oh, no. That poor girl."

Her laughter died down, and the two of them grew quiet again, Jack rubbing small circles into her lower back.

"You think…" He paused, looking uncertain, and Sam waited patiently for him to continue. "You think maybe one day?"

Sam said nothing, thinking silently as she ran her fingers across his chest.

_Do I want kids?_

She took a moment to imagine what it would be like. She thought of coming home from working on the base, and finding Jack pushing their little girl on a swing in the backyard. Maybe he would be retired by then, and maybe they'd all be living together in a little brick house somewhere…something with a fenced-in yard and flowerbeds out front, with wind chimes dangling above the railing around the front porch. She imagined the little girl calling out at seeing her mother, leaping off the swing and into her father's arms, the two of them meeting her on the porch to greet her. There would be hugs and kisses to give out, and she'd carry the little one inside, Jack's arm around her waist as he asked her about her day. There would be toys strung about on the living room floor, drawings in crayon stuck on the fridge, muddy footprints in the hallway…

…and a permanent grin on Jack's face.

"Oh, definitely," she finally replied. "Someday, definitely."

Jack seemed content with her answer, and he planted a kiss on her forehead before sliding back down under the covers.

"You going to sleep already?" Sam asked, obviously disappointed.

Jack chuckled quietly. "Just for a little bit. C'mere."

She cuddled back up to him and let out a contented sigh. The steady rise and fall of his breathing began making her sleepy, and her eyelids grew heavy, the exhaustion from everything she'd been through over the past few days catching back up with her all at once.

"Jack?" she mumbled drowsily.

"Mmm?" His chest vibrated with the sound, and Sam shifted her body a bit, draping one leg over his middle and settling her head against his shoulder.

"Thank you."

He leaned his cheek against her forehead and muttered, "For what?"

She smiled sleepily and gave him a squeeze. "For being here with me."

The breeze whistled through the trees outside, and Sam could hear crickets chirping in the distance. She closed her eyes as she lay comfortably in Jack's arms, running her thumb over the ring around her finger. Despite everything, somehow, in the middle of all of the chaos existing in the universe, she and Jack had finally been allowed to find happiness. She drifted peacefully to sleep, her mind barely recognizing the final word Jack whispered to her in the darkness.

"Always."

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

**In no particular order, special thanks goes to:**

**Tel nok shock**

**froggy0319**

**Yol**

**ADM SG1**

**jackandsamforever**

**awishaway**

**dpdp**

**Katetanic**

**mmkbrook**

**erinn80**

**roque872002**

**BettyHall223**

**djenie**

**midknightstarr**

**hedwiggins**

**midnightread**

**LoneWolfOneill**

**sammie77a**

**ellesauchet**

**flyingdocbrett**

**vcm**

**RhizOneill**

**PatriciaS**

**If I missed any of my regular reviewers, I'm sorry. Thanks guys for all your sweet words. I look forward to hearing from you again when I post my next story! You guys are awesome! :)**

**-Lillie**


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